Chapell – Wave as You Walk Past (2022)
Friendships are something that can last a lifetime, but they also start to fade with time and distance. This is something that Chapell contemplates in his single ‘Wave as You Walk Past’ as they get you moving to his quirky dance flow. Inspired by an interaction Alan Chapell had with an old friend who barely had time to wave at him while walking past, the single taps into the thoughts that run through our minds after such an interaction.
Using his wonderful storytelling style, he drops us into the moment and has us feeling every thought and emotion as if we were living it. Alan Chapell’s earnest charm makes the music easy to connect to, while the genre-defying sounds of the instrumentation sweep you up. Formed in 2017, this musical project has released albums to critical acclaim, while touching on some serious topics.
The tapping beats get your foot moving, while the keys slowly walk you into ‘Wave as You Walk Past’. There is a wonderful forward momentum to the opening line that has you merrily moving into the single and the slightly retro tones that fill the high levels. The melody has an interesting movement that walks the line between melodic stability and quirky. At times, certain notes burst through the soundscape like a blast of colours, while the beat steadily keeps you moving forward. Woven into all of this is a dance vibe that gets your whole body bopping to the rhythm. As the melody progresses, you are drawn into a swirling feeling that enhances the lyrics and the thoughts that are running through your brain. There is a twang that comes later, bringing a new dimension to the track while enhancing the overall movement of the melody.
As you steadily walk into the embrace of the melody, Chapell’s vocals drop you into a consideration of friendships and how they stand against time. There is a rather poetic twist to the opening verse that takes you into the moment when an old friend barely has time to interact with you. The chorus rises on the back of the vocalisations of the backing vocals to bring an almost indignation to the single. This indignation twists into a consideration of what you could have done to make the person not want to talk to you. The storytelling flow of the lyrics and vocals is truly amazing and you easily imagine the entire moment playing out in your mind. They also swirl the feelings and thoughts of the single into your brain where they will rest for a long time.
With a steady yet slightly quirky sound, Chapell brings the emotions and thoughts that follow a short interaction with a friend to ‘Wave as You Walk Past’. Between the storytelling lyrics and the engaging melody, he drops you into a moment and makes you feel like it has happened to you. The lingering thoughts of what you have done wrong will easily lead you into the rabbit hole of your own interactions with old friends.
Find out more about Chapell on his website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
