Joe Monahan paints memories with "Summer Blue" [Review]

The latest single from Joe Monahan, "Summer Blue," arrives like a sun-kissed memory on a hot July afternoon, the good kind that makes you remember why the month felt like your own little piece of paradise in the first place. A soft, sweet nod to the golden era of soft rock, the track sounds like a postcard from the '80s, polished with a modern shine, emotive, melodic, and dripping with sentimentality.

An irresistible hunk of pop perfection constructed around exquisitely smooth guitar lines, layer-on-layer of lush harmonies, and the warm crackle of analogue "Summer Blue" doesn't seek to reinvent the wheel, and that's what makes it so strong. This is a sound that flourishes in the realm of the known, live, and oozing out of the speakers by the crushed velvet fistful, inviting you to lean back, close your eyes, and go for a slow-motion daydream ride. Monahan embraces the gentle side of rock's past, offering up something genuine instead of overproduced or overly thoughtful.

There's a low-simmer ache in the melodies, a reflective melancholy that burrows in among the dazzling guitar licks and metronomic percussion. It's more the wistful blues that descend when a splendid summer is about to end. The sentiment is universal, and Monahan pens it with elegance. Joe adds a lived-in smoothness that suits the vibe nicely. He gives his delivery a real-world feel, and it isn't flashy. There is room in the mix for every instrument to breathe, and it doesn't force the song to be bigger than it needs to be.  For the ears of soft rock enthusiasts, "Summer Blue" is a welcome return to a cherished domain. Joe Monahan has managed to create a moment of eternal stillness in today's fast-paced musical world. Sometimes, that's all we really need.

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