Blake Collins – You’ve Been On My Mind (2022)
Influenced by the pop sounds of the 1950s and 1960s, Blake Collins is often noted as having some Beatles influence in his music. In fact, Song Per Day Music shared that if you “close your eyes…you may just think you’re listening to John Lennon.” – high praise indeed. Lennon was, hush my tongue, IS an iconic musical figure and any comparison is notable. In Blake Collins’ case, this likeness to Lennon is completely valid.
Alright, so now we know what he sounds like. So, what about the rest?
A singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Los Angeles, California (that’s in the USA to be specific), Collins has a charming, elegant and enticing sound. Following his well-received single ‘I’m Not Gonna Take It Anymore’ (released in 2021), ‘You’ve Been On My Mind’ adopts a The Kinks meets The Beatles style. A strong power-pop sound runs through the melodic arrangement; however, there is a rock-inspired edginess heard in the guitars. The combination of pounding drums, dynamic guitars and upbeat tone is engaging, and while classic retains a sense of contemporary “poppiness” in the melody.
Dragging you back to the 1960s with his vintage sound, Collins shows you all the excitement of the British Invasion and their stylish bops. I have to agree with Song Per Day Music when they say (or rather write) that Collins is similar to Lennon. The thing is, in ‘You’ve Been On My Mind’, he has a similarity to McCartney with his enchanting musicality. Moreover, the complex message in the lyricism is up there with McCartney’s songwriting and production skills.
Appearing to have a simplistic pop sound, ‘You’ve Been On My Mind’ could just be a toe-tapping summer banger. Yet, there is a complexity in the lyricism as Collins touches on “the phenomenon of infatuation and how difficult it can be to assuage that feeling for another person. You know, the romantic ideal of another person gets stuck in your head, and you just can’t shake it.” An interplay between the overwhelming sense of infatuation and basic retro melodies adds a sophisticated slant to ‘You’ve Been On My Mind’.
For more from Blake Collins check out his official website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
