Podge Lane – Paradise (2022)
Through his album Outer Monologues, Podge Lane drew us into the story of a southern city night as the narrator moved through tension, vulnerability and anxiety. He is now turning an embrace of his country roots to a slightly satirical look at the imperfections of daily life and how we find happiness between them in ‘Paradise’. Using fond and playful lyrics, the single picks up some intimate instrumentation for a reflective, yet still jovial, track.
Through the single, he reminds us that while we can find something to complain about at any point, we should take note of everything that makes us happy as well. Having already received widespread acclaim with his last album, this track wonderfully gears us up for his next one. Further cementing his place as an artist you need to keep an eye on, the track is a fun blend of folk, country and reflective musings.
‘Paradise’ has a chilled, yet light and upbeat, vibe to the melody. The piano has you swaying and lightly bopping to their flow, while sun seems to stream through the window of the single. The melody has a really positive feeling to it that instantly puts a smile on your face. A gentle shivering line weaves between the piano notes while the beats keep your feet tapping away to their sound. Through the music you are transported to a moment of happiness in paradise where you feel like nothing negative can touch you. The chilled vibes infused into each note are a little at odds with the vocals at times which is perfect as it brings the contrast of our worldview to life. The moments of the melody are all those happy times when you can’t help but appreciate the good in your life, while the vocals bring the touch of finding something to complain about. The piano solo that comes through later is a great little burst of improv that trills through your senses.
As you are swaying and chilling to the good vibes of the melody, the vocals draw you into the musings of daily life. The lyrics have a fantastic storytelling quality as they lay out the day and what Podge Lane is up to. While the music is soothing your soul, his performance is packed with contradictions and the small imperfections that build up through the day. Packed with the little things like wanting tea, but ordering coffee, or being stuck in a routine, there is a lot you can relate to. As he touches on all these little nuisances, there is a thread woven into his performance that lets you know that you are in a paradise if you just take the time to appreciate it.
Through the chilled melody and irony of the lyrics, Podge Lane has us appreciating the little things in life while acknowledging our ability to complain about everything in ‘Paradise’. The contrast between the easy melody and the playful vocals is wonderful and brings a great dimension to the single. His performance is chilled while edging toward sinking into a rut, before the melody lets you know things are not as bad as you think.
Find out more about Podge Lane on his Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
