We recently reviewed new Australian artist, Will Soma, with his track Days Are Long. Today at the Send Me Your Ears studio, we’re taking a listen to his newest release, Reverse.
Soma let us know that Reverse was the first song he ever wrote. Listening today, this lets us know that Will is off to a great start, with bundles of creativity and a 90s rock/ Britpop feel to his music. Reverse feels a little darker than the previous song of his that we listened to. Lyrically, this is a song that reflects on how different our worlds could be with just a few tiny changes of decisions.
Reverse comes straight in with the full band sound. A repeated guitar lick hooks you in which then continues between and under the vocals as they progress.
Vocally, Will Soma is throwing everything he has at this track, especially in the choruses. “I’ll fight for you with the lyrics of angels”. His voice shows some real passion and emotion in this track.
A beautiful electric guitar solo with a great tone (reminding us a little of late Lynyrd Skynyrd style) leading into a gentle breakdown that builds nicely with drums into a double chorus to end. We particularly like the use of subtle harmonies after the guitar solo and would love to hear more of these in future recordings.
From a production perspective, a small boost around 60Hz would bring the kick drum in a little more. The kick feels a little lost so a boost around 4-5kHz just in the kick track would give it more presence. Both the kick and snare could use a little more compression to bring them forward a little. A couple of boosts around 125Hz and 250Hz would give the track a little more warmth. A boost in the vocal track around 4-5kHz would give it more presence and definition. A high shelf boost in the top octave in the drum track would give the whole sound a lot more life.
With relatable and intelligent lyrics and a catchy chorus, this is remarkable songwriting when you consider that this is the first song Soma wrote. With a few minor tweaks, this has all the makings of being a very memorable hit. We’re excited to hear Will’s progress as time goes on.