Danny Addison – Tribe (2021)
Danny Addison is taking on some heavy topics in his single ‘Tribe’. An exploration of polarisation, it considers how virtuous ideas can turn into something much darker and dangerous than first imagined. While journeying through this exploration, he also digs up the pitfalls of narcissism and arrogance countered by their allure.
This critique of the darker sides of good intentions is artfully brought to sonic life with the help of Cameron Easton (drums) and Tom Addison (piano). It is also the second single from his upcoming EP which is being released soon. Drawing on a myriad of influences, the multi-instrumentalist worked on many projects before turning his musical talents to his own songs.
There is a steady guitar line that draws you into ‘Tribe’. The persistent thread created by the guitar forms a solid foundation for you to journey into the single. There are strings that whisper in the higher levels before you are thrown into a pulse of sound. The guitar line gains tension and builds into the intricate strings that continue to swell and build to a pulsing crescendo. There is an interesting feeling to the drums in the lower levels of the track offering a dancing vibe against the soaring strings. The music comes together to form these layers of messaging that bolsters the vocals.
When Addison’s vocals enter over the guitar line, they have an irresistible allure. He has an earthy vibe to his voice that matches the melody in the building tension. When the strings hit, his voice calls out over the soundscape for a war-like frenzy. Through the lyrics, you are drawn into the allure of arrogance as you feel justified in your good intentions. This is met later by the realisation that the good you want to do can turn into something much darker.
The official music video uses an extremely interesting visual to bring the message of the track to your eyes. The video follows two masked children in the woods picking up a megaphone as a metaphor for the virtuous ideas of modern society. There is a lot of symbolism and deeper meaning in the visual but this does not lessen the enjoyment of listening to the single.
Danny Addison uses a layered melody and irresistible vocals to consider the bad that comes from good intentions in ‘Tribe’. There is a powerful feeling in the movement of the melody that pulls you in with the good intentions only to rise into the crescendo of the bad. The vocals help counter this movement with an understanding of the pitfalls of arrogance and knowledge of the bad that could occur.
Find out more about Danny Addison on his website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
