Matt Saxton – Tonight (2022)
Matt Saxton used the icy fingers of winter to pull us into the melancholic contemplations of ‘Animal’. He is now pulling us into an entirely different kind of winter with his third single ‘Tonight’. Using a soft indie rock sound, he draws us into a string of sleepless nights and the battle to get through insomnia.
While we have all experienced a sleepless night or two, this single delves into a more desperate time with night after night of endlessly being awake. With rather effortless ease, Saxton fills our senses with the battle of insomnia while getting us all ready for his upcoming album. If the last dive into melancholy had you hooked, this single is definitely the final nail that seals the deal.
‘Tonight’ sweeps you up into its retro-tinged sound from the first note. The deep beat has your foot tapping while driving you forward through the melody. There is a bouncy feeling to the melody at times that really has you bopping and is a little at odds with the deep subject being discussed. This contrast in tone and message is amazing as it really enhances the power of the story. The piano line is a little like car headlights at night before the synths shimmer over and creates the energised lethargy of insomnia.
While the melody sweeps you into the single, it is really the vocals and lyrics that make the single. Saxton’s performance has a tiredness to it that captures the weariness that comes from sleepless nights. The lyrics take you on a car ride that you use to try and tire yourself only to drop into bed where sleep remains evasive. The single is amazing as it details the fight to appear functional after not sleeping and battling through this on your own. The use of medication is also touched on accompanied by a resignation to having to use them. As his performance flows through the struggles of insomnia, the catchy movement of the chorus will get stuck in your head. The weariness of his vocals and the bounce of the melody meet for a wonderful contrast that perfectly encapsulates the energy you feel in bursts when you haven’t slept.
With a bouncing beat and weary vocals, Matt Saxton brings the strange contrast of lethargy and energy that comes with insomnia to life in ‘Tonight’. The foot-tapping sound of the melody has you merrily bopping away to the rhythm. It is the vocals that bring the real contrast to the single while highlighting the battle against insomnia and the emotions this brings.
Find out more about Matt Saxton on his website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
