The striking aspect of ‘Forever You’ll Be Known’, the new single by Shelter Boy is the guitar. Acoustic guitar and soaring strings provide a stirring backdrop to this dream-pop track by the German artist. The fact that guitar plays such a prominent role is unsurprising given that for ten years, the artist was the guitarist for Brit and surf pop band Still Trees. With two EPs under his belt, Simon Graupner, has been carving out a future as a solo performer for the last two years.
‘Forever You’ll Be Known’ has a summery dreamy retro feel. The melodic, effortless symbiosis of guitar, cello and violins provide a soothing undertone to the melancholic vocals. Shelter Boy has been compared to UK based artist King Krule but, while there are some similarities in the vocal delivery, the tone is far less raw.
When a track starts with the lyrics “Tomorrow I’ll write you a letter / Sorrow will be the head of paper” it is clear that this is no party anthem. This is song about being alone, the pain of separation and realising the mark we all leave on one another. However, ‘Forever You’ll Be Known’ is so effortless it is easy to ignore the messaging and be swept along with the melody. There is nostalgia here and echoes of brit-pop but it still manages to sound fresh. Despite the sadness permeating the lyrics, the soundscape is less The Smiths and more The Coral.
Shelter Boy is already gaining followers in his native Germany and it will be interesting to see where the sound takes him as he draws upon his influences, including The Beatles, Stone Roses and Bob Dylan, and adds his own twist. Whilst ‘Forever You’ll Be Known’ is a pleasant enough journey through melodic guitar riffs it starts to feel a little too generic as the four minutes play out.
Words by Andrew Butcher
Check out Andrew’s blog here.
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