Slow Dial Gladstone review by Vince Leigh
Gladstone is the new single for Slow Dial. The song follows the pleasingly chaotic You Don’t Talk Much, released earlier this year.
The new track relinquishes some of the urgency present in their previous single. Still, this is substituted with a more refined palette of guitar-centric understated rock. The kind of rock that utilises an undertow of psychedelic intonation and light funk to create a kind of melancholy swagger.
The vocal performance generously swims along with this riff laden current, neither getting lost amid the interweaving notes nor attempting to gain the upper hand. One of the first elements that stand out is this interplay between guitar and vocal. It’s a well-balanced collaboration that not only fits the mood of the track but might even be the reason behind its gratifying temperament.
The governing guitar riff mutates, despite keeping to its original opening structure for the most part. Yet, the variances offer the listener mini detours towards less rigid confines, adding more colour to what is quite a multi-toned, musical excursion.
Slow Dial – brittle, edgy, raw
There is a brittleness, and there are edges. A deft rawness in the approach. This all adds to the early ’70s landscape Slow Dial has found themselves in. The instrumentation boundaries have imbued the song with an alluring style with certain features. These include the ever-present guitar strike on the two and four, anchoring the rhythm while giving it a bustling retro taint.
While the verses and riffs feel steadfast and as tight as a secret, the chorus and its treatment provide an almost dream-like bloom. The lead vocal performance rides towards the crest of the song’s waves with lazy, self-assured command. The melodies here are instantly identifiable, and when wedded to the music’s circuitous nature, the result is a unifying blend.
Gladstone sounds like the work of a band discovering its true compass. And the direction they’re heading towards is quite enticing.
You can check out Slow Dial on Spotify.
