Bath-based singer-songwriter & Blues guitarist Drew Neirin returns with a new track that sounds like a late-night drive with the windows rolled down. “So I Heard” pairs soulful vocals with bluesy guitar riffs. On this new offering, Neirin continues to demonstrate his ability to make easy music that is dense with musicality.
“So I Heard” envelops the listener in an easy groove. Anchored by some catchy guitar riffs that nod toward the timeless approach of 20th-century blues legends, the track never sounds like an anachronism. Neirin’s performance is technically precise and sufficiently expressive that the song never feels distant, instead carrying an organic warmth that makes it accessible from the first listen. Paired with his robust, soulful vocals, the result is a song equally heartfelt and chilted.
The room is spare, yet purposeful. Establishing a discreet backbone, beats and bass are allowed to let the guitar and vocals shine through, without drowning the mix. Some subtexts suggest deeper stories, but the song is also chilling, a meditation in sound. It’s a track that might soundtrack a night of contemplation, a quiet café scene, or a sunlit walk through the city.
There is something about blues, soul, and easy listening that flows perfectly through Neirin’s style, but what separates him is that he is the real deal. There’s a modern edge to his approach that keeps the song feeling current, but the soulful guitar and vocal delivery from Owens reveres the genre’s roots. That’s a mix few manage to strike, and which Neirin strikes easily here.