Sayed Sabrina – Grande Illusion
Pop and rock singers still get invited to late-night chat shows. That’s been happening for decades. But nowadays, most frequently, they’re asked to play silly games with the host. They might be on their heads, arm wrestling alligators, or smelling French cheeses. It’s all a vulgar attempt at bribing internet virality. And, ultimately, it’s all very boring.
Don’t decry the fate of the singers just yet. Most of them had it coming. The vast majority of them are incredibly plain. They’re boring, safe and predictable. The talk show hosts are merely looking for an angle to disguise these facts.
I really dislike these characters. It’s not because of how boring they are, but because they’re chosen to bring this to the world of music, one previously occupied by manic dreamers, shamanistic rituals and singers looking to open up the doors of heaven while shouting in a microphone. Janis Joplin would never allow herself to be so plain.
There’s nothing typical or boring about Sayed Sabrina, certainly not about her singing. “Grande Illusion” is a blues rock delivered in an over-the-top manner, but what do you expect? Singers that can discuss the weather with you? Nah, Sabrina goes for maddening highs and aching lows for a style of singing that has more in common with spiritual ceremonies. Anything else would just be too dull. It’s singing that doesn’t need the dumb jokes of a late-night TV host to be entertaining.
Nellen Dryden – Love Carry On
There’s nobody above wanting to be and feel loved. And, there’s nobody who wouldn’t pay, or at least, provide their full attention to an artist that can bring those feelings into their lives.
That is, coincidentally, also something that the entertainment industry is well aware of and for which they have many solutions. There is no topic that is used more in songs, movies, or television shows.
Sadly, the majority of them aren’t just awful; they are evil. Most love songs are cynical and written by people looking to acquire the funds to put in a new swimming pool into a home out in the mountains.
But there’s also something immensely striking about a love song that doesn’t only sound glamorous but feels truthful. Nellen Dryden’s “Love Carry On” is that kind of song. Using a bluesy melodic motif, classic rock instrumentation that brings to mind radio songs of the 1970s, and Dryden’s warm, confident vocals, “Love Carry On” reveals itself to be a true gem of a song.
