Guest review by Captain’s Bar events manager, Say Something Music label owner and promoter Scott Evans
Greg Murray & The Seven Wonders are a special part of the Stoke-on-Trent music scene – there really are no other bands like them. Their music is often uplifting whilst at the same time, deliver lyrics that are heartfelt and heartbreaking in equal measure. Their latest double release encapsulates that juxtaposition perfectly.
Wish I Was In Love With You and The Pain & The Glory are two very well crafted songs showing two very different sides of the band.
At their heart, Greg Murray & The Seven Wonders has an Americana sound, but there are many different elements embedded within that, that they shouldn’t be pigeon holed as such. There are parts of the sound which remind me of They Might Be Giants, Prefab Sprout and Crowded House, all of which also had that ability to deliver big anthemic chorus songs whilst delivering an emotional punch.
Wish I Was In Love With You is an uptempo song with instantly catchy melodies, and similar to the aforementioned Crowded House, the band have a way of making a song feel so familiar to you that you are singing along by the end of the chorus. The production is wonderful allowing each element of the band to shine through. By the second verse the combination of plucked guitar, strummed guitar, brass stab and electric guitar chord are so perfectly intertwined, it’s a really clever arrangement. The chorus brings it all together perfectly, uplifting and joyous. I would imagine it will be a very popular live song. There is no doubt this is the sound of a band working together really well.
Meanwhile, The Pain & The Glory is a stark contrast, being very much a ballad. There is so much going on musically – acoustic led with a gorgeous lap steel guitar layered throughout. A beautiful string accompaniment ushers in the chorus and then lyrically this is where Greg grabs you by the heart strings with “The beautiful thing about love is…”
This is such a heartfelt track which Greg wrote for his wife following a personal loss. Although musically very different from its accompanying song it does again show how good the writing and musicianship is within the band.
The Pain & The Glory/Wish I Was In Love With You is a double single released by a band at their peak. The songwriting is of a really high standard worthy of a big audience. I look forward to what the band may have in store for 2024
Listen to the tracks here:
