When you write about music almost every day, it can become all too easy to simply allow the music to wash over you or to absent-mindedly let it pass you by. However, every now and then comes along a song that practically forces you sit up and listen, or indeed dance, as is the intention with UK artist Gabrielle Ornate‘s newest single ‘Spirit of the Times’.
The self-styled bohemian queen has crafted a vibrant pop-rock track around cyclical grooves, twanging guitars and relentless percussion that swerves from math-rock tempos to grungey refrains. It’s such a texturally pleasing track that keeps the listener on their toes throughout; there’s even an ’80s-inspired synth-pop breakdown around two minute mark that took us by surprise, in the best kind of way.
Gabrielle Ornate‘s commanding vocals give us some hint at the meaning behind ‘Spirit of the Times’ in which she taps on key words and phrases, such as “too complacent”, “left to ruin”, “for too long, I withdrew” and “trapped in orbit”, in her relatively quieter verses. These negative ideas are sonically chased away by the brightly bursting chorus, which is all about celebrating life and being in the present moment, and thus we come to the song’s central tenant, “I am the spirit of the times.”
It’s Gabrielle‘s wish that this song ignites your own spirit and so listen openly and give yourself permission to get up and move!
You can also enjoy ‘Spirit of the Times’ in our Outsider’s Club playlist.
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