Slye is an up-and-coming talent from Liverpool. He blends beautiful guitars with a soulful R’n’B vocals. On his brilliant new track ‘Waiting’, there is also a smattering of jazz, bringing a fresh and unique sound that I haven’t heard before.
The track follows his previous single, ‘Into Colour’, which was a loud disco banger. It was full of massive synths and had one of the most infectious basslines you’ll hear this year. In comparison to this, ‘Waiting’ is more relaxed but still contains a massive melody. When the handclaps come in, they work extremely well with the laid-back guitar reminding me of a bright sunny day. The lyrics express a feeling of frustration as the protagonist reflects on what he wanted to say to a lover: “Is my past getting in the way? / I’m too far gone now, so much that I wanted to say, and you know that I’ve been waiting.”
The saxophone towards the end is so beautiful and melancholic. Even though it’s only in a small part of the song, it reflects the wistful waiting the lyrics describe perfectly.
‘Waiting’ shows that Slye is incredibly diverse, putting in a heartwarming vocal performance. I can’t wait to hear more from him in the future.
Words by Ermis Madikopoulos