John Leslie Hulcombe – Sanctuary (2022)
John Leslie Hulcombe delved into the power of love and how someone loving you as you are can help you love yourself with ‘Love Found a Way’. He continues to draw you into his emotive stories with his first single of the year ‘Sanctuary’. Bringing a touch of the ethereal to a dreamy pop and soft rock vibe, he has you slowing down and taking the time to soak up everything the single has to offer.
While atmospheric, there is a new twist to the sound that heightens the introspective flow of his lyrics. In this single, he is working with Peter Koppes who brings a new flair of guitar magic to the sound, that enhances Hulcombe’s passion and artistry. If his last single captured your heart like it did ours, this is the one that will have you following his music closely.
‘Sanctuary’ has a soft atmospheric feeling through the opening. The melody has an ethereal edge that borders on grandeur as you feel that something rich and epic will follow the opening. This is what happens, but it hits in a different way to what you might be imagining. The richness washes through you like the sun streaming through stained glass windows, bringing a soft yet wondrous feeling to your soul. The instrumentation is calming and peaceful as the melody sinks into your soul. There is something about the movement that sucks you in and covers your soul in the soft colours of the track. While the melody is overwhelmingly an atmospheric flow, there is something grounded resting in the low levels that brings a levity to the single.
This levity is enhanced by the serious delivery of Hulcombe’s vocals. As soon as his vocals enter, you are drawn into the introspective tale he has to tell. There is a lot that we can all relate to woven into the lyrics, as they flow like a deep sigh against the soothing melody. The interplay between the melody and the vocals is utter perfection and will have you sitting back to let the track soak into your soul. Hulcombe has an undeniable ability to get you invested in the stories of his tracks as they touch something deep in your soul you never knew needed feeding. The harmonising backing vocals add a dreaminess to the chorus that settles on your skin like warm rays of sun.
John Leslie Hulcombe has you transfixed to his sound with ‘Sanctuary’ through the levity of his vocals and the atmospheric softness of the melody. The single is one that you can’t stop listening to once you have started and will likely play on repeat as you sink into it again and again. Hulcombe’s ability to keep you hooked to his music has been turned up to max for this single.
Find out more about John Leslie Hulcombe on his Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
