Browsing Tag

Bill Withers

Dave Sereny cast his gaze on ‘Brighter Days’ in his funk-fuelled gospel of hope

Toronto-based guitarist and smooth jazz virtuoso Dave Sereny gifted a sonic sermon steeped in optimism and resilience with his latest single, Brighter Days. With a groove underpinned by staccato reggae guitars, Sereny creates an intricate interplay of funk and jazz fusion that carries an irresistible pulse. His vocals, effortlessly soulful and evocative of Marvin Gaye and Bill Withers, deliver the song’s lyrical fortitude, tackling global adversity while shining a light on perseverance and hope.

The addition of choir-esque backing vocals amplifies the track’s radiance, wrapping Sereny’s smooth delivery in harmonised warmth. The melodic complexity sits comfortably within the genre’s upper echelon, but the track never leans into gratuitous technicality—it feels alive, breathing with sincerity and intent.

Sereny’s guitar work is a testament to his time spent honing his craft in the studio and on countless festival stages alongside legends such as Warren Hill. As part of a forthcoming album featuring a mix of original tracks and reimagined classics, ‘Brighter Days’ sets a high bar for what’s to come.

Brighter Days is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dom the Composer is Sleepwalking with Streetlights in his honeyed and hymnal soul single

Since releasing his debut single in 2019, Dom the Composer has summoned his signature sound through rhythmic reverence, a never-ending proclivity towards blues and the determination to lavish even his most pensive singles with soul.

His latest single, Sleepwalking with Streetlights, created in collaboration with Novian Wright proves his time with the All Saints Choir of Men and Boys in Ashmont didn’t go to waste. His hymnal and honeyed vocal register instantly arrests the soul as the bluesy melodies work their magic on your rhythmic pulses before Novian Wright brings a sense of dynamism with his rap bars that effortlessly complement the MA-hailing Haitian-American singer-songwriter’s intoxicating timbre.

Sleepwalking with Streetlights is perfect for those late nights when your demons drive you to the point of distraction, retrospective regret wracks you with the compulsion for action and there is no appeasing your restlessly listless mind. It is a sublime testament to an artist who is clear in his determination to let trends pass him by and stay on his own euphonically enlightened path of delivering uninhibited vulnerability and originality.

Sleepwalking with Streetlights was officially released on September 28; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast