I know the term ‘Beatle-esque’ gets bandied about a lot- too much, really and is usually wrongly applied to music that falls well below the benchmark such a label is required to live up to. (I’m as responsible as anyone for such lazy journalism.) But ‘Livin’‘, the latest single from Son of Jacob, is perhaps more worthy of such an accolade than most.
Soaked in the same lush textures as the Fab Four’s late-era brilliance, it throws in unexpected chord progressions, neat sonic twists and musical turns, and lyrically has that gentle everydayness that McCartney (and also Ray Davis and Jeff Lynne) excelled at.
I have, perhaps, over-egged the Beatles’ association, for this is new, original music first and foremost, and certainly no exercise in past sonic glories; it’s just that we don’t seem to get music made like this too much any more, and so it is to a richer pop past that I need to look for such suitably lush and lovely reference points.
This advocation of the joys of living in the moment is a brilliant package, the music suitably sun-strewn and warm, rich and sonically rewarding, vocally textured and just nostalgic enough, the perfect vehicle for the message being delivered. And the message is simple: dark clouds may be gathering on all horizons, the world might seem to be a difficult place to be right now, and world events can only raise anxiety levels, but that, surely, is exactly why you should make every second count, live for today, turn off the screens, engage with your fellow human and revel in the joy of the moment, wherever you find it.
Try it; what is the worst that can happen?
