“The Start” is the debut single from Bournemouth-based Ray Joyce, and what a track to burst onto the scene with.
Ray says “I wrote, performed and recorded this all in my disgusting basement. It’s about how longing for the past can leave you living as a shell in the present.” – and disgusting basement or not (I’m not here to judge your interior!) – you can’t tell – the quality of this is impressive.
It’s got a really nice edgy start to this track, a chilled rock vibe if you like, gave me a sort of vibe that you would likely link up with the likes of “The Kinks”.
This maybe just me, but I’m getting that retro glam 60’s-esque feel from it, a sort of style I feel like that lost it’s way a bit, it’s nice to hear it coming through again.
I could listen to it over and over again, it’s the perfect length for this sort of track and offers a lot in the short space of time – I found myself nodding my head to it and embracing it all.
The guitar riffs are sublime and offer that nostalgic feel – it carries alot of the song but that is also part of my only criticism.
The vocals match the feel of the song incredibly well, however, the guitar and backing feels like it takes front stage and is overpowering the vocals a bit, which might be on purpose, which if so, carry on, but I feel like the vocals could punch through a lot more.
That said, the lyrics are actually quite melancholic, but almost also pushing through that sadness and finding a new beginning, which would make real sense with the title.
The track in its full form has been well-crafted from start to finish, offering that chilled-out feel without it being in your face – it’s the sort of track that you would hear on a film soundtrack, in a retro cadillac, roof down, wind through your hair sort of feel.
The artwork gives that sort of feel too, like the sort of landscape you’d pull up to and soak it all in, maybe taken on a polaroid – but artsier (if that even is a word).
Overall, the track is perfect for a summer day, road trip or not, it boosts your mood without much effort, which in my opinion is difficult to do and the twangs of the guitar are something to be admired.
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