SAER – My Funny Valentine (2024)
The brainchild of singer-songwriter Simon Davies, SAER is described as hauntingly beautiful and full of expression. An entirely indescribable sound, although I will do my best, SAER defies boundaries and is anything but pedestrian. From the spine-chilling single ‘Sorry’ in 2022 to his take on The Police’s ‘Walking On The Moon’, the UK-based musician brings freshness to old-school classics. As with his take on Brian Wilson’s ‘Good Vibrations’ in 2021, SAER captured the core of the emotional theme with his take on Johnny Cash’s famous ‘I Walk The Line’. The latest addition to his discography is the single ‘My Funny Valentine’.
Penned in 1937 for 17-year-old Mitzi Green to perform in Rodgers & Hart’s musical Babe In Arms, ‘My Funny Valentine’ gained notoriety in the 1940s and continues to be a classic almost 100 years later. Covered by various musicians from Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday to Tony Bennet and even Matt Damon, ‘My Funny Valentine’ has been captured by jazz, pop and rock artists alike. Influenced by the Chet Baker version, SAER presents his reinvention of the classic song.
Self-recorded and produced from his home studio, SAER once again weaves a golden tapestry of eclectic creativity with ‘My Funny Valentine’. I might describe the release as a work of pop-inspired art; however, as I mentioned, SAER is difficult to define. Holding a strong electronic pop sound as its foundation, the bold beats and proud synths twinkle with a dubstep sturdiness.
As confident as the beats might be, a lingering pop-inspired sheen clings to the melody with a light-hearted fluttering of jazz slithering throughout. While the tune shows sophisticated maturity in the harmonic arrangement, a lingering sincerity and vulnerability exists in SAER’s falsetto leaning to the classic sentimentality of the original ‘My Funny Valentine’. He explains:
“Covering ‘My Funny Valentine’ was about exploring the emotional depth of a classic while making it resonate with today’s audience. It’s a journey into how far we can stretch the boundaries of a song’s original essence finding that balance where the integrity of the original writing remains intact yet feels entirely new… ‘My Funny Valentine’ offers listeners a journey through love’s complexities wrapped in a production that’s both nostalgic and forward-thinking…”
In addition to the single, SAER released an official music video for ‘My Funny Valentine’. You can view the video below or via SAER’s YouTube channel. Please note that this video uses effects that can trigger seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy. Viewer discretion is advised.
VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED
Find out more about SAER on his official website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
Listen to more synth-pop songs on The Other Side Reviews Synth Pop playlist:
