Perry Ripley – G.T.F.O (2023)
Known for his moody, thought-provoking, intimate and emotive melodies, singer-songwriter Perry Ripley has a natural talent for transferring intricate life experiences to catchy songs. We were introduced to Ripley in 2021 with the single ‘The Storm’, but we were not the only curators whose heads were being turned. From the UK to the USA, to Brazil and Australia, Ripley reached far beyond his UK borders. When we left Ripley, he was exploring the intricacies of love being similar to addiction in ‘Cocaine Love’. Skip ahead a year (give or take) and he tips the scale to frustrating slow breakups in ‘G.T.F.O’.
Following his well-received single ‘Sinner’, ‘G.T.F.O’ is the second track from his upcoming EP Gospels of a Broken Heart. With a reputation for his melting pot approach to melodies, Ripley’s material traipses various genres making him difficult to define. In ‘Sinner’, there was a hard-hitting indie-pop vibe fluttering along the tune; however, ‘G.T.F.O’ is far harder, heavier and filled with a rich swirl of angst. Capturing a hint of indie-rock, the single retains a rock vibe in the melody, but it is the sweep of electronic beats that bring out a flashing intensity of rage beneath a confused but broken heart. Ripley explains:
“’G.T.F.O’ is written around the inner monologue of someone going through a breakup but still finds themselves running back to that person even though they know it’s a bad idea. The person the song is about is a musician who is very well-known in the industry who I had a fleeting relationship with a while ago… I wrote this track on piano then built around it in the studio to achieve an alternative electro-rock sound that anyone who has been through a slow breakup can relate to.”
It’s true that the bold electro-rock sound drips with angst and scorching ferocity but it is Ripley’s vocals that add a last bite. Tinged with spite, Ripley’s rich tone is simultaneously aggressive and mellifluously soothing. It’s a case of “oh, I don’t have time for this” with a “you aren’t really that bad even though you’re toxic” chaser.
For more from Perry Ripley, check out his Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
