New and Noteworthy: Apollo ~ Thundering Water

There is a clarity of purpose about Apollo's musical direction that is quite beguiling. It's instantly noticeable in his new song, Thundering Water, and resonates through previews of his upcoming EP entitled The Atlantis Experiment (preview here). The mission statement is to provide music that inspires, is evocative, has uniqueness and is nothing like that you are hearing on the radio nowadays. In a world where music is created on a template of thrusting beats and soulless synth loops, there is an innate beauty in songs that exist on a higher creative platform - where each note is a fraction of the ultimate part, yet lovingly placed & equally valued. Each lyric has meaning, to be interpreted and discussed by the listener & passionately delivered by the singer himself. Apollo succeeds in all these areas and Thundering Water will challenge your senses, probe your soul and leave you satisfied, panting & breathless for more... The dramatic, classical strings that being the song are easily the best use of violin in a pop tune since Paula Abdul used them to (albeit softer) effect in Rush Rush. Here they create an increasingly urgent, fervent sound that juxtaposes with the percussive drum machine beat that layers alongside it. Apollo's conversational style vocal adds to an off kilter effect that leaves you slightly unsettled but desperate to see how this musical poetry, this breathing art will play out. The chorus itself is a mellifluous treat where his voice lets the melody shine, bouncing around notes in the octave like the gentler end of the titular thundering water bouncing off rocks in the sparkling sun. The desperation to feel, to emote, to just be is emphatically conveyed through the half prayer, half bewitching spell that is the middle 8 - and thus it becomes more of a personal drama being sung than a pop song. Added to this is an accompanying video with starkly provocative images that stimulate this epic projection of yearning into vivid reality. It's an astonishing piece of work - not one that perhaps will be played easily on the radio, and nor is it meant to be. It's an intellectually challenging piece of music that will be appreciated by those who desire something to stay with them long after the song has finished... Do check out Apollo's other works on his soundcloud page...