Labour In Vain - Scratchin' Around
Country, RnB, Blues, Americana, Singer Songwriter
Bristol, United Kingdom
Overall Impression: "Scratchin' Around" is an extremely fun slice of country-infused rock that offers plenty of catchy melodies and foot-tapping rhythmic qualities, Labour In Vain has written an energetic rocker that captures the heart and soul of the genre impeccably, whilst offering plenty of interesting musical quirks along the way.
Strongest Point(s): Beginning with driving bass and drums, the listener is thrown straight into the song without hesitation which is refreshing, I love the attitude this song has, it knows exactly what it is and embodies the genre perfectly! The lyrics have a fun playful quality to them and are expressed via a strong lead vocal performance that fits the style extremely well, the subtle use of higher backing vocals (first heard at 1:25) adds a nice tonal layer to the main lead line, strengthening the main vocal melody delicately. The instrumentation is what you would expect from a song of this nature, a strong backline featuring drums and bass that provide the rhythmic backbone, whilst the lead vocals take centre stage to tell their tale, all nicely embellished with a variety of guitar sounds, both clean and electric. The mix and overall production is a particular strength, clear, concise, and making great use of space across the stereofield. All instruments are clearly distinguishable from one another yet they all fit nicely together, providing a rich and polished sounding end resul
Target Audience Appeal: This nicely fits in the country blues genres and will certainly appeal to that particular fanbase, it contains all the elements you would expect but does some nice unique things here and there to make the song stand out.
Artist target suggestions: ZZ Top, The Doobie Brothers, Tom Petty, Alan Jackson, Neil Young, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Creedance Clearwater Revival, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Foghat, Ted Nugent, Steve Miller Band, The Eagles, Willie Nelson
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About the Reviewer:
Andre is a freelance session musician, composer, and sound engineer based in the U.K. Having studied music production and composition at a degree level, he has taken his passion for all things audio-related and strived to become a competent musician and performer. Being a self-confessed "Guitar Nerd" Andre has been continually studying the guitar, as well as teaching it, helping students both learn the instrument, develop their songwriting, and how to become proficient in home recording.