It’s getting close for summer to call last orders, dispersing the last remnants of blistering heatwaves, beachy bops under blue skies and the fizzles from your beer bottles after the absolute carnage in your local beer gardens. Alas, what if I had an indie-folk gem to give you that last little taste of sugar-spiced sunshine that can ‘Scwheppe’ you off your feet? Well, it’s your lucky day! Releasing on the 1st of September, Canadian artist, Paul Crupi has gifted to all of us who are desperate for a new earworm, his latest single: ‘Lemonade’.
This mellow-as-yellow, indie-folk track opens with a coquettish dalliance between the candle-cosy warmth of the drumbeats and the shimmering, crisp guitar riffs, adorned in a romantic adagio tempo and lambent timbres. Within the first twenty seconds, I was transported to a 1967 Chevy truck, breezing down the highway, with sunlight caught in my hair, on an aimless adventure to anywhere the road takes me. Quintessentially, Crupi’s single has such a hypnotic melodic structure, you can feel your daily stresses melt away, effusing your perceptions with that mirthful mixture of new beginnings and transcendent hope.
On the note of the first twenty seconds, the introduction of Crupi’s vocals adds an extra layer of dulcet, feather-light tones that enriches the synergy of the instrumental composition. The vocals act as the exuberant, gold lacquer to an already stunningly refreshing instrumentation, unifying the track under a cushion of multi-genre influences like country and blues.
I o’ so adore when artists can pull off a distinctly unique blend of genres to embellish the heart of their stylistic individuality and Paul Crupi is no exception. Adding his own flare to the zestful twangy texture of guitar progressions, ‘Lemonade’ has that historical richness that galvanised the country genre, however Crupi finds a way to become an innovator – not an imitator.
And how, one may ask, does he accomplish this? The careful intertwining of elements from blues like dissonant harmonies in a syncopated bridge, which admittedly, I wouldn’t have originally presumed that bold choice to have worked for indie-folk. I was pleasantly surprised as the dissonance was perfectly balanced with the purity of Crupi’s impassioned voice.
The track is a rollercoaster of colourful techniques, but what I want is to really sink my teeth into this track…let’s get to the real pulp of ‘Lemonade’.
Having written original music for over fifteen years, Crupi is no stranger to creating indie-folk tracks with a powerful and optimistic core message. From a three-track EP titled ‘Wav3s’ through to 2021 single named ‘Better Me’, Crupi has established an authentic experience for the listener, a true trajectory of self-improvement and vulnerability; the very reason I love modern indie music and the power it has on a listener who can resonate with the central emotions.
If his previous works were the leaps and bounds towards self-growth, ‘Lemonade’ is the deliverance.
Enough gabbing from yours truly, I am sure you want to hear from the man himself on the emotional and creative processes behind this gorgeous, upcoming track:
“In this track, I wanted to express my gratitude for the life I’ve built and how its shaped my perspective to appreciate the best in life. The past few years have posed challenges that have seemed, at times, too hard to overcome, but that won’t deter me from maximising my potential. I couldn’t let the world jade me. This isn’t a race – take little steps, focus on your happiness and your loved ones, that’s when you realise the little stuff weren’t as hard to overcome as you first thought.”
Beautifully said; when life gives you lemons, make an empowering single to brighten up a world that could use a little more light.
‘Lemonade’ releases on the 1st of September and the zest is history!
(Last lemon-related pun, I promise).
Paul Crupi’s Spotify:
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