It is interesting when you think about how sleep and love or desire are so interconnected. When we are laying in bed and we can have that moment of silence where we realise we are alone with our thoughts and that one person keeps coming up into your head. You just can’t stop thinking about them…
Manning offers a good pop-folk tune to help you in that moment of melancholy in a way that isn’t so depressing. When I first read the title and saw the single artwork I didn’t expect the optimistic melody and jovial lyrics. I think Manning’s vocally really strong and it shows in both his tracks and live. Also, you can hear his personality in the guitar, but I would love for him to push on that a bit more as it is such a core sound for him.
I believe verse one is stronger than verse two, but that was only due to a lyrical and melodic choice in verse two that I feel like could’ve been more subtle. The chorus is strong and catchy. I found myself humming the melody without even noticing sometimes, which is always a good sign that the song can stick.
I always loved hearing about those friends who had parents that were long distance for years and years and somehow they managed to stay together in the end. While Manning’s song seems more temporary it still offers that whirlwind of feelings that can overcome you when you are not close to someone you want to be with and you can’t stop thinking about them. I like the drops of lyrical specifics in the song, a great technique in pop music to show a bit more individuality amongst the general relatability.
I am curious about what direction Manning will go in with his sound. Currently, I feel this is very marketable and inoffensive. It is always up to the artist if they want to stay a purist and potentially piss people off with their art or play the game and make a lot of money. Personally, I respect artists that do either and think both have their pros and cons – plus some purists make a shit load of money and some who play the game never win. Manning has a lot of potential paths he could go down and I am curious to see which one he takes.
FOLLOW: @manningthemuso
