The Grand Cru – 17 (2024)
A couple of months ago, a band passed across our virtual desk that made us halt in our tracks, sit back, stare and gape with wonder at the single at our fingertips (alright, it’s our ears not fingers). The band is The Grand Cru; a foursome of veteran artists combining each individual’s musical excellence into one outstanding wrap of awesomeness. Well, awesomeness isn’t exactly a word, but The Grand Cru’s mastery makes it one. Combining the natural talent of Darren Parry, Lee Gilbert, Steve Balsamo and Bonnie Skop, the inter-continental team delves into the grit and glory of life celebrating simply being. The latest addition to their discography is the single ‘17’.
Taken from their album Music To Heal Your Soul, ‘17’ joins ‘I Was There’ as one of eight tracks supporting the Enlisted Association Of The National Guard of The United States (EANGUS). Penned predominantly over Zoom, Wales-based Gilbert, Parry and Balsamo connected with Florida-based Skop creating a reflective song brimming with tender memories and heartfelt innocence. Parry explains:
“We wanted to write something that encapsulated the excitement and emotion of falling in love as a teenager, reminiscing about a time gone by when love captured your heart and the emotions of youth…”
Recorded and mixed with Al Steele at Shabbey Rd Studios and Tim Hamill at Sonic One Studios, The Grand Cru shifts from the rock-filled ballad ‘I Was There’ to a country-tinged pop song in ‘17’. While the combination of soothing piano, bold drums, dynamic guitar, a shimmering mandolin, moving percussion and soulful vocals (hit by gentle backing vocals) is a kaleidoscopic sonic concoction, a sense of simplicity exudes from ‘17’.
Perhaps it’s the rollercoaster from a soft opening rising to soaring musical heights then the drop to a lilting piano-driven end that offers intricate starkness in the jovial twirl of sound; then again, it might be the raw emotion driven from the track that tugs on different sides of our hearts.
Janis Ian once said that she “learned the truth at 17…”, a song of poignant reflection and tragedy. Today, The Grand Cru reflect on the “truth at 17” but with the exuberance of youthful innocence. ‘I Was There’ is a spine-chilling, breath-taking rush of sound and emotion that left me a little teary-eyed. ‘17’ evokes as much emotion but with doleful smiles and heavy sighs at the years gone by.
Find out more about The Grand Cru on their Instagram.
