Single Review: Champagne Eyes // Conor Houston

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Have you ever been out and about in your city centre and seen a person who looks like they’ve walked right out of a different era? Perhaps you have a hippie friend who meanders about like they’re in the 60s.

It’s in this manner, Sheffield’s Conor Houston epitomises the glam rock movement of the 1970s. The music video to single ‘Champagne Eyes’ has that cellophane effect evocative of old VHS tapes. This, paired with the introduction “we’re back in 2014 with the Sheffield prince of pop this is Conor Houston” in the style of a radio DJ expresses from the outset Houston’s desire to affiliate himself with the past. If you didn’t take one look at his slicked back hair and shirt and jacket combination and say ‘David Bowie’, I’d recommend you take a trip to Specsavers. No stranger to big names, either, Houston has previously opened for Stevie Wonder. That’s not to say Houston is just a wannabe; he undoubtedly has the musical capacity and flair to make himself a household name, too.

In its own right ‘Champagne Eyes’ is a distinctly catchy anthem. It’s tinged with angst “you just left me for dead” and the relatively simple lyrical constructions make it easy to sing along to after only a few listens: “I feel it on my skin / my heart is wearing thin / for your champagne eyes”. And there are some pretty mega riffs in this track, too. If nothing else, the genius of the music video has to be celebrated.

Self-described as “Marmite”, we would have to disagree. There’s no “love it or hate it” question about ‘Champagne Eyes’, as it is an definitive signal that Conor Houston is capable of incredible things.

You can download the single free from SoundCloud here

Words by Beth Kirkbride

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