SINGLE REVIEW: ‘Lost My Mind’ by Shannon Hurley
Released 28th November 2018
Having already released a number of albums- both as a solo artist and member of electronica duo Love and Poets- as well as having previously had her music played on shows like ‘American Idol’ and ‘So You Think You Can Dance’, LA-based singer Shannon Hurley is clearly no stranger to getting her music out there for the world to hear. And despite this relatively prolific nature as a musician, it is safe to say that her music has always been (in the words of the ‘British Electric Foundation’) that of ‘quality and distinction’. Her latest single ‘Lost My Mind’ is no exception. For a start, it is nice to hear something described as ‘synth pop’ actually have the qualities of the music of this genre; all too often nowadays the term is used loosely and falsely to describe mere pop songs that use the occasional synthesiser. I am glad to say that this track, however, is pure synth pop- indeed unashamedly so, with the upfront, heart-on-sleeve lyrics dominating the proceedings but being balanced out nicely by Hurley’s delicate vocal delivery and the sparkling keyboards that frame her voice. The track is also melodically strong- a must for a modern, minimalistic synth pop track- and pleasantly mellow, with the latter quality likely reflecting the subject matter which Hurley describes as ‘recognising the people that help you through days of emotional darkness with their patience and love’. The words of the second verse stand out as a particularly touching example of the artist’s lyrically forward method of dealing with this particular subject matter: “You're so patient, so giving/You mean the world to me/You love me and I thank you/You've given me everything’. There are flavours of Yazoo and mid-‘80s Human League, but also more modern artists such as Robyn and the latest releases from Duran Duran (in particular some of the album tracks from their latest LP offering ‘Paper Gods’). Georgio Moroder is clearly an inspiration too, with the track definitely benefitting from the silky-smooth production it has been given. Overall ‘Lost My Mind’ is straight-talking yet thought-provoking, and is a welcome and worthy addition to Hurley’s already relatively extensive back catalogue.
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To hear ‘Lost My Mind’ or find out more about Shannon Hurley and her music, please visit the links below. http://www.shannonhurley.com/ https://www.facebook.com/shannonhurleymusic https://shannonhurley.bandcamp.com/track/lost-my-mind
