Single Selection: Blake ~ So Happy

I last wrote about Blake when their rather jolly good indeed album, Start Over, was released 2 months ago. You'll be pleased to know that the music has not gotten any less satisfying since then and neither have the boys become any less debonair, dapper or dashing in those ensuing months. Phew, eh, ladies & fella loving fellas :) Anyway, it certainly feels like there is a gap in the market for a band like Blake at the moment. Their music soothes the soul & lifts your spirits, eschews trends for solid song craft yet has a contemporary sheen that makes them feel relevant & aujourd hui (for a female singer tapping the same market, check out Agnetha Faltskog's dazzling album "A")... wisely and certainly befitting this sunny bank holiday Monday, the chaps have chosen (and reswizzled) the soaring album track, So Happy as their brand new single (listen here). It was given it's premiere on Saint Clare Balding's radio show yesterday, which had me shoving aside my strawberries and cream & reaching for the volume dial - it certainly is one of the most joyous, celebratory instrumentals I've heard in a long time. The lyrics do match that to a certain extent - it examines the bittersweet nature of the end of a relationship & what happens when you come out the other side. There's certainly an acceptance & optimism in the words, yet a wistfulness & regret at what is now lost. This is mirrored by some truly sumptuous vocals that delve into the intimacies of the song - it's not just singing, it's bringing the tune to vibrant life through nuanced emotions, glorious textured harmonies & a mellifluous anchoring of the song's melody. Production & remix wise, it feels like the sort of music Take That & Westlife would be releasing to charm a nation through the sunny summer months & beyond. Truly marvelous - and a wonderful introduction to the album if you haven't bought it already...