A new name to us; Gloomy June are releasing their second single, Always Gonna Let You Down, today (22 April 2022) and we’re excited to have a listen here at the Send Me Your Ears studio.
Always Gonna Let You Down comes hot on the heels of the debut single (Feb 2022), Save Anyone and ahead of the release of their upcoming EP, Popsick, out May 13 2022.
We love the story behind the decision to write this song. It was brought to the group by their guitarist, Devin Nelson, as a synth laden 80s track which was (apparently) a little reminiscent of Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up, and the band took it and ran with it, turned it on its head and came up with Always Gonna Let You Down!
Tour Dates:
May 3 San Francisco, CA at Brick and Mortar Music Hall
May 6 San Diego, CA at The Che Cafe
May 7 Los Angeles, CA at Flying Embers
May 11 Vancouver, BC at Red Gate
May 12 Bellingham, WA at The Shakedown
May 13 Seattle, WA at Conor Byrne Pub
May 14 Portland, OR at Honey Latte
May 15 Eugene, OR at The Lighthouse
May 20 Montreal, QC at Pouzzafest
June 1 San Francisco, CA at Makeout Room
Always Gonna Let You Down is a great early 80s pop anthem. Think Pet Shop Boys but with Clare Grogan (Altered Images) on lead vocals!
This track has a wonderfully nostalgic feel to it, whilst also sticking close to some great modern production techniques. It crosses time and genres exceedingly well.
The layered vocals in the chorus are very nicely done, with the backing sitting comfortably behind the lead and not dominating or trying to steal the show. The chorus is catchy and we found ourselves singing along by the second time it came around. The build up to the chorus is very well done and the drop back to the verses afterwards had us all smiling. This is about 4 minutes of 80s pop heaven!
We like the breakdown instrumental that develops with vocals added singing the Always Gonna Let You Down line repeated over and over, building and building until a stop and back in to the chorus again.
We like the change up around 3m30s to a half time feel on the drums after the double chorus and then you’re in to a stinger ending and boom – the song is over! Although at around 4 minutes, the unwritten rules of commercial radio would suggest that this track may be passed by, it most certainly shouldn’t be. We’d suggest approaching college radio with this track at the very least and, depending on budget, a few commercial stations would be well worth the effort.
Its rare for us to be this impressed with production, but we can’t fault it here. All the instruments are clear, there’s nice distances and reverbs that sit well with each other, good use of stereo and panning, a great balance of frequencies, nothing dominating and lots of interest throughout the song. What more could you want?!
If you’re looking for a fun 80s anthem and fancy giving a shot to a band with a great sense of humour, quality musicianship and a very authentic feel, look no further than Gloomy June. Always Gonna Let You Down is out now on all platforms.