#spreviews

SOL3 MIO - A review (Various tracks from the last few years)

Written by Logan Ellis.

Members: - Pene Pati - Amitai Pati - Moses Mackay

Ahh, beautiful, masculine SOL3 MIO. Signed to Universal and currently residing within the hearts of many middle-aged woman in Aotearoa, these three wondrous vocalists are truly a delight. With skill, talent, and good looks, they are making their way through Australiasia and presenting a fusion of Italian Operatic skill and Kiwiana vibes throughout.

After a short break, they’re now back into the full swing of things, with one of their first shows set to be in Hawaii, of all places (probably quite nice this time of year). I would say with some certainty that they will be performing one of their latest tunes, titled “Stella” which showcases their finesse to a tee. Their gorgeous vocal harmonies combine and meld flawlessly with the orchestral backing. I’d say that Stella would be feeling rather flattered after hearing this tune. 

They also covered an original by Ed Sheeran, titled “I See Fire”; additionally, they do it justice. I admit, the beginning is a little unusual, with the insert of the NZ national anthem and the haka-esque ... actually, I’m not entirely sure if this track is done as well as it could have been. I’m wondering if they’ve tried to force a sort of cultural shift that just isn’t necessary... and I’m also thinking that perhaps the vocal style doesn’t quite match that of an original, in a way that really works. That said, this is Ed Sheeran that we’re talking about here. It’s hard to top a track by him.

“O Sole Mio”, one of their efforts from their debut album in 2013, is more in their spectrum. It’s more in their zone. It’s a wondrous blend of delicate fingerstyle guitar and soaring, defined singing. It’s nice to hear the individual vocalists and their own unique tones. Would I listen to it endlessly on repeat? No, but I would treat it like a fine wine; once in a while, just to be pleasantly reminded that it exists. 

SOL3 MIO have made it. They’ve managed to break out of NZ and get out onto the international stage, and every NZer has the obligation to at least respect them for that, because, as many NZ musicians will know, that’s really difficult. It does help that they got signed by Universal, for sure - but, nonetheless, they earned it. They earned their success. And good for them.

Please remember to suppot NZ music, especially your local artists.

~S.

Lorde - A review (Various tracks from the last few years)

Written by Logan Ellis.

Members: - Lorde - Ghostwriters and Producers

Ahh, Lorde. She’s somewhat of an enigma, isn’t she? A NZ-born Grammy winner. On the cover of the Rolling Stone magazine, MTV-visible, and social media savvy - truly a savant of music (at least from our side of the globe) that’s most likely going to remain current for years to come.

I, however, have come to have a giz at her tracks. These tracks, being the most recent ones on her Soundcloud page, where she has a truly astounding 6.32 million followers. And why is that number so large?

Well, let’s ignore the obvious magnate that was “Royals”. That track basically put her on the international map. Let’s have a look at perhaps what are regarded as some of her lesser known songs - such as the first one I’ve found, titled “Swingin’ Party’”

I mean, it’s different. Her voice is distinctive and certainly an asset in the mix, and it’s clear by the quality of the production that this was done in a very well-stocked studio. There’s a sort of incontinence to the organ and the percussion in the background, which choose to take a backseat to the main attraction, the vocal melody. It’s melancholic at best in terms of lyrical content, where Lorde talks about leaving school and finding a life outside of the institution. It’s certainly intriguing.

“Tennis Court” is a track that I’m far more familiar with. It’s similar in some ways to “Royals”, in terms of the way that the backing vocals are placed, the way the percussion is written and... well. It just has a similar feel. It’s like the team working on this track knew not to break something that worked. It’s wonderful. But I’m starting to get the feeling that, even with the amount of the exposure that Lorde receives through her channels, she’s just not going to be as big as she was.

It sounds bitchy as hell to write like that, but this artist of ours, this now-20-something (?) artist is a major representative of our country. So the world is shown NZ to be an advocate of this sort of music and work ethic. Has Lorde done enough to be a legendary part of NZ’s musicological quilt? I would say so. But I sincerely hope that she continues to work (at some point in the next few years) on pushing her material forward and improving on her craft - after all, her money is bound to run out at some point.

Please remember to support NZ Music, especially your local artists.

~S.