Monday, June 5, 2017

“Gold Rush” by Sam Frankl – A Song Review

     “Gold Rush” is a vocals-driven masterpiece. The lead vocals have a Glass Animals sensibility, and they feel sensational. Still, the supporting choir vocals provide the push to the top of playlists.

     The track is Sam Frankl’s view from the other side of neighborhood renovation – from the viewpoint of someone forced to move from his home of 18 years. The inspiration come from witnessing the activities in Heygate Estate, which was within minutes of his South London home - ““The Heygate Estate was in the process of being demolished. It was once the largest housing estate in western Europe but had fallen into disrepair due to systematic defundingEventually only a handful of tenants remained where once 3000 family units had lived. Those tenants refused to leave.”​​​​​​​

     Instrumentally, the start of “Gold Rush” is deceptive. The percussive support of the backing vocals during the initial fifteen seconds is relatively low tech. It’s engaging, but the percussion doesn’t foreshadow the processing that eventually plays a major role in establishing the beauty of the track. Saxophone sampling and other non-traditional (pre-1980) processing walk into the mix without stealing the spotlight. The result is an invasion of the contemporary with a respect for the past. 


     Pasted from the SubmitHub description of “Gold Rush:”
  The fruits of [Sam Frankl’s] journeys are showcased best in the release of his new single “Gold Rush,” recorded with RAK Studios-based producer Rob Brinkman (Barns Courtney, Mumford and Sons) and mastered by Enginge Earz (Jorja Smith/Ray BLK). Sonically fitting somewhere between Father John Misty and Glass Animals, the track is born from a programmed bossa nova beat and looped saxophone samples.

     “Gold Rush” by Sam Frankl



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