By Charlie Maybee
Canadian singer-songwriter and producer Derek Joel is back with a contemplative pop single “Steal The Show”.
Driven primarily by piano and larger than life harmonies, there’s a simplicity to the composition that gives space for sounds and messaging to resonate deeply. This is one for fans of the likes of Sam Smith or Lorde where a strong emotive foundation is put first. But the track is not without some virtuosic prowess as he gradually shifts his vocals to impressive heights towards the end of the song that radiate similarly to the pipes of Matthew Bellamy of Muse.
Unready to fade into the background, this is song about finding a place to let your inner light shine brightly. “What are you waiting for?”, Joel asks as the music swells with symphonic cymbal work and synthesizers. There is a sense of yearning that vibrates through each sustained note – there’s no telling if an opportunity to shine is going to plainly present itself, so take advantage of the moment and get your shine on.
Overall, this is a solid effort from Joel as the latest in a string of singles released over the last few years. As he continues to make moves with various collaborators, we will look forward to his next release as a solo artist and keep our fingers crossed for a longer EP or LP release in the near future.
“Steal The Show” is available on major streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, and SoundCloud, and on the Alchemical Records Multigenre Mixture playlist on Spotify.
Charlie Maybee is a dancer, musician, educator, and writer based in Charleston, South Carolina who currently teaches with the Dance Program at the College of Charleston. His primary work as an artist is with his performing collective, Polymath Performance Project, through which he makes interdisciplinary performance art that centers tap dance as the primary medium of expression and research. He also currently plays rhythm guitar for the Charleston-based punk band, Anergy, and releases music as a solo artist under the name Nox Eterna.
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Alchemical Records is a Washington, D.C. based music publication. We cover the Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, VA metro area music scenes, including band interviews, articles about your favorite musicians, new music and concert dates.
