Jon Sandman – Dear Friends (2022)
Performing as part of bands Pylon Heights and Jon & Abbie, Jon Sandman knows how to be a band member; however, he also has a solo project showcasing his unique sound. This is what we’re looking at here. In fact, we have featured both his bands and loved everything, so is his solo project as good? Alright, I’ll admit, everyone at The Other Side Reviews loves Jon Sandman but we’re not the only ones. Well-received by blogs like Loudhacker, Pop Fad Blog, Our Sound Music, and several playlists, it seems Sandman is turning heads across the globe. The latest addition to his critically acclaimed repertoire is ‘Dear Friends’.
Following his Jon & Abbie track ‘Still Life’ (read our review here), Sandman adopts a heavier rock sound in ‘Dear Friends’. A guitar-driven single, ‘Dear Friends’ has powerful guitar solos and riffs taking the listener on a rock-influenced journey. We can’t forget the pounding drums layered so elegantly in the melodic arrangement adding an underlying forcefulness. What I find particularly intriguing is the harmonic layering of Sandman’s vocals as backing and lead. The difference in pitch and tone makes you assume two singers but it’s all just Sandman.
Not one to turn from intimate themes in his music, ‘Dear Friends’ touches on the ending of relationships and the emotional consequences. Sandman explains that ‘Dear Friends’ was penned several years ago when he started to “grow apart from some of my closest friends from university as we all went our separate ways. It was very lonely.” While already a significant song, releasing it now in our uncertain society enhances the poignancy and loneliness of the track. Sandman shares that the Covid-19 pandemic “has forced some of us into our shells and reaching out to those we love for help has been harder than ever before.”
Insightful, reflective, sentimental and filled with genuine sincerity, Jon Sandman captures feelings of loss and isolation in ‘Dear Friends’.
For more from Jon Sandman check out his official website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
