James Stephen – I Missed That Train (2020)
We all have a lot of missed opportunities that we think about from time to time. ‘I Missed That Train’ is the sonic review of the finer details of these moments by James Stephen. Through the single, he looks at what could have been and acknowledges that missed opportunities are not always bad. He also reflects that these opportunities might not be missed forever.
Stephen (vocals, rhythm guitar) works with Danny Addison (lead guitar, backing vocals), Mike Gardner (bass guitar, backing vocals) and Matt Sanderson (drums) to reflect on what could have been. Stephen and Sanderson met in 2015 and started making music together with Addison, a fellow Royal Northern College of Music student with Sanderson. Gardner joined later after Stephen met him through the open mic scene.
‘I Missed That Train’ sets the scene with an Americana folk guitar opening. There is a slightly retro feeling to the melody that makes you think of Americana artists of the past. The melody is relatively simple in its flow but creates the perfect backing for the vocals. There is a feeling of sunset in the music that perfectly matches the messaging of the music.
As the melody forms the foundation of the track, Stephen’s vocals have a gravelly soul. The music is pure Americana, but the vocals add a slide of soul to the proceedings. This injection of soul enhances the emotions of the lyrics as you lament the missed opportunities. While the chorus has a melancholic drawl of missing opportunities, there is also a hope that the train will come by again. This is an interesting movement because you are filled with the sadness of what has been missed, but this is replaced with a glimmer of hope that all is not lost.
James Stephen laments missed opportunities while acknowledging that they might not be gone forever in the soulful Americana hit ‘I Missed That Train’. The retro vibes of the track add a hint of melancholy while the gravelly vocals are a pleasure to listen to. This is easily a song that you can add to your favourite playlists and listen to again and again.
Find out more about James Stephen on his Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
