Many singer-songwriters, for want of a better term, think that their mere presence guarantees them attention and that their cool hat and buoyant Instagram following are enough to carry them along. And then there are those who understand the one simple fact that is the not-so-secret secret to success. It’s about having the songs. Sonofdov has the songs. His latest, “Natural Disaster,” is already proving to be a bit of a hit if online streaming numbers are anything to go by.
So, while the aforementioned would-be minstrels were posting selfies and checking themselves in the mirror, Sonofdov was honing his art. The results of those long hours hunched over those six simple strings and editing the ideas in a lyric book are the reason for songs as great as this. You gotta put the work in, man!
“Natural Disaster” is the sort of song that the likes of David Gray or the much-maligned James Blunt (go back and play tracks like “No Bravery” from his debut and tell me that a reconsideration is not overdue) would wrestle you to the ground to get their hands on. It chimes with the deft and delicate sonics of the balladic indie troubadour and grows subtly into more band-driven territory as it goes. It is both shimmering and spacious, poised and poignant, graceful and yet, once it gets going, full of groove.
“Natural Disaster” is a great song, a fantastic calling card, and although I appear to be at least half a decade late to the party, Sonofdov is an artist that I am very much going to keep a close eye on. And so should you.
