I first wrote about UK pop duo, The Approval, back in November of last year when I became instantly and entirely smitten with their debut EP - Time Will Tell (read all about it here). Since then, they've been busy with university & modelling, but never forgotten how to make good music, which has allowed me to rave about their video for Up To No Good (here) and be utterly charmed by the romantic poetry of Three Little Words (here). It's been worryingly quiet on the Approval front since February, but good music takes time (and money when you're doing it yourself). Hopefully their new track Dreams is worth the wait. Read on below...
Although the earlier releases of The Approval are solid pop goodness, Dreams represents the progression of the duo as both musicians, performers and songwriters. As with any good musical development, it works because it builds on the successful elements that were already in place, whilst examining new sounds that will no doubt open up Simon & Roland to a much wider audience. In essence, Dreams is a richly textured instrumental with mesmerising vocals that bring the lyrics into vivid reality. In the first 30 seconds alone, a wall of sound is unveiled - first, a vibrant guitar riff brings the song into existence, accompanied by a syncopated drum beat. This then is enhanced by a more live sounding percussion and subtle but effective electro-synth sounds. This (consciously or not) creates a musical reflection of that dreamlike state where as you become more immersed, the dream seems more and more real. The rapid fire lyrics of the verses create an energetic vibe that it hard to resist, while the soaring chorus (including some amazing falsetto) sees the boys vocals weave together seamlessly - the result being genuine & memorable pop nirvana. The giddy pace never lets up and the honesty of the lyrics, combined with the ready allure of the instrumentation all adds to the charm of the song. Additionally, from following their twitter, the chaps seem rather humble & oblivious to how good they actually are. This unassuming nature is part of the appeal of The Approval & bodes well for their continued development. A corker of a tune, and I hope much much more music is to come...
UPDATE: Glad You Came/Don't Go (The Wanted-JoshKumra Cover)...
As if the glorious Dreams wasn't enough, those charming chappies have already recorded a cover version of The Wanted's Glad You Came with a little Josh Kumra mixed in there. It's performed in the most gorgeous backdrop (I half expected Maria from the Sound of Music to come twirling across them there hills!) which frankly only serves to accentuate the boys not-ugly-at-all features. All done in one take, with no editing on the vocals, it's quite the tour de force. Simon kicks it all off with an impassioned vocal intro of the Josh Kumra number - I don't think I've mentioned before how fine each of the boys voices are on their own as well as blended together. This cover showcases their solo voices nicely. Then Roland adds his guitar to the mix with an energetic strumming that gives Glad You Came a more organic feel - this creates a more spontaneous atmosphere to the song that works well with the lyrics. Just as important as giving the song a new lease of life is that the boys look like they are having a reet good time performing it. Another solid entry to their canon - and can't beat a cheeky wink at the end!!
I know it's too easy, but I approve. Kind of sounds like what I'd expect Mr Hudson to sound like if he got off the hip hop bandwagon and went full-on pop.
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