Alwyn Morrison – “The City”
Alwyn Morrison – “The City” – Single Review
Ayyy! Why not pair a nice upbeat vibe with devastating lyrical misery?
I ain’t saying that it’s not insightful – I’m sure Alwyn Morrison would know better than I would. I’m way over here in Canada listening to his impression of what it’s like to live in the Big Apple on his new single “The City,” and it sure don’t seem like it would be as sweet as it sounds. Maybe that’s just the way I’m hearing it? Like…I probably know what every other person outside of New York City would know from watching shows and movies that feature it, and sure, it’s always seemed like a fairly gruff place to live from what I’ve seen onscreen. I know a little about its politics I suppose…names like Kathy Hochul and Eric Adams…neither of which I’d assume would make great role models. I know they just introduced congestion pricing on driving in “The City,” and that sounds like a nightmare too. You know something? Alwyn might be onto something here with his depiction of how grim NYC is…which really only ends up making us wonder even more why he, or anyone, would wanna live there? I’d be packin’ & movin’ right quick if it was up to me…I’m not sure Alwyn’s singing enough about the positive side of NYC, if it exists.
“Here in New York, we put you through hell.” I mean…sounds like fun, don’t it? I don’t know if the video is doing any favors for the case of potentially living there either, though it should be noted, I really like what he’s put together to support this single visually, and it certainly fits with the lyricism. What was really interesting to me about the video, was that pretty much all of the people holding these signs that contain these savagely sad messages about how freakin’ tough life is there, are still smiling. Even Alwyn himself is busy dancing up a storm and having the greatest time while he’s singing about all this turmoil & how difficult it is to live in New York on an emotional level. He’s essentially suggesting through his lyrics that it’s practically outright impossible to find the humanity in NYC, yet everyone is still smiling in the video. Maybe it’s one of those situations where you’d just be crying all the time if you couldn’t find something to love about the misery, you know what I mean? Maybe it’s so freakin’ rough there, that if Alwyn didn’t find a way to sing through the pain of living there, New York would’ve swallowed his soul.
Like I was saying…I have no real idea – I’ve never been there myself. I kinda have to take his word for it.
“The City” is right on the border of where Pop/Rock starts to shift towards Alt-Pop…and if it wasn’t for the audible sweetness that adds such a distinctly uplifting aura to the chorus, Alwyn might have been closer to the Alternative label than this song ends up reaching. Like here in Canada, something like “The City” is really only a stone’s throw away from being an Our Lady Peace tune. Instead, I guess you could say this becomes a bit more of a standard combination of Pop/Rock, with the heaviest emphasis on the Pop influence when it comes to the spirit in the overall sound, with a slight Rock combination that is more pronounced through the verses, and also in the guitar solo later on down the road. One thing is for certain – if this is TRULY what it sounds like to be personally devastated by the place you’re living in, then I’m fairly confident that more folks would want to move to NYC than away from it, because this kinda heartbreak sounds reasonably enticing. At the end of the day, Alwyn’s not singing about the horrific effects of poverty or homelessness…he’s not trying to take on the establishment or really even make a case for changing New York from what it already is. “The City” ends up taking a more relevant, relatable, and documentarian type of approach, where Alwyn’s really tackling New York from a more emotional perspective…things we’ve heard about in books and movies, where the belief is that if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere…that kind of thing. “The City” relays what it’s like to be the people there waiting for their big break – and while that can certainly seem devastating in many ways I’m sure, Morrison has found a way to look at this scenario that is not entirely without hope, and I think people will come to appreciate that. On a technical level, I’m not hearing any significant issues that should stop this song from reaching an audience…it’s well-played and well-sung…it’s got tangible personality and heart…and ultimately, for better or worse when it comes to how YOU might feel about New York, I felt like Alwyn was sincerely willing to share the details of “The City” from the honest way that he sees it. It’s catchy too, which never hurts when appealing to the court of public opinion. All-in-all, I like the song, I felt like the video gives its theme excellent visual support, and to be real with ya, Morrison seems to have that endearing kind of X-factor thing goin’ on that makes you wanna root for him. As to whether or not we’re supposed to root for him to make it BIG right there in “The City” that has no soul, or be rooting for him to get the heck outta there and find a place he might actually enjoy for more than its ability to impress by how much it can crush you…I mean…who knows? There’s lots of space up here in Canada if things get too awful there in “The City” – or like, an entire planet’s worth of locations that have great people, majestic nature, uplifting attitudes, excellent weather…no one should have to stay anywhere that is going to continually hold them down or potentially hold them back. That being said… we humans are known for often being addicted to heartbreak beyond our control. Based on what we hear in “The City” & see in its video, that assessment might apply to Alwyn Morrison, as well as all those other folks smiling along in his video.
Find out more about Alwyn Morrison at the official pages below!
Main Site: https://www.alwynmorrison.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alwynmorrisonmusic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alwynmorrison
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