S J Denney – Friends and Lovers (2024)
With several years in the music industry, S J Denney is one of the more experienced artists we have come across, but still as refreshing and undefinable as possible. In his veteran glory, Denney has performed with various bands and as a solo artist earning him a loyal following, as well as international gigs. Beginning as a choir boy and performing across his local county, the UK-based singer already had pitch-perfect rhythm; however, it was when he began to play the clarinet that the acoustic song bug really bit. Not our introduction to Denney, his confident and enchanting music has astounded us for a few years now. Today, we take a listen to his most recent single, ‘Friends and Lovers’.
Following his singles ‘Witch’s Brew’ and ‘Tread Carefully’, Denney enters 2024 with the track ‘Friends and Lovers’. Stepping away from his distinctive indie-rock meets indie-folk sound, Denney wades into Afrobeat in the new single. Brimming with various percussion instruments – 14 in totality – one takes a trip around Africa in three minutes. From flutes and drums to clarinets and I think a marimba, ‘Friends and Lovers’ stitches together different cultures so listening to the track is a movement of hard-hitting tones, smooth soothing, haunting vibrations and soul-stirring rhythms.
One aspect I find intriguing about S J Denney is his eclecticism, constantly sauntering through different genres and never releasing anything pedestrian. Difficult to pigeonhole on his own, the immersion into a wealth of Western African sounds makes him even more undefinable. Just as the melody is enticing and enchanting, it is the lyricism and its execution that brings something special to the track. Folksy in its style but with whimsical chants of Afrobeat, Denney’s rich voice walks through the cracks binding the arrangement in a silvery bow.
Denney’s music is memorable and pure, but I believe ‘Friends and Lovers’ takes honesty, creativity and innovation to another level. I hope this is not the only Afrobeat offering Denney presents, but I’m eager to see what else he has up his sleeve.
Find out more about S J Denney on his official website, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustianablecurator
Discover more Afrobeat tunes on The Other Side Reviews Afrobeat playlist:
