There are so many reasons to love this eponymous debut track from Manchester Rain, not all of them totally to do with the music itself, so lets start there and work our way to the heart of this sonic treat.
Let’s start with the concept. Far from being just another single doing the rounds, Manchester Rain forms the hub of an interesting competition, one that asks participants to re-mix the song, the best four of which will receive substantial prizes. Then there is the altruistic aspect. The title and the message of optimism that runs through the song make it the perfect inclusion on the Manchester With Love compilation album that is helping to raise money for the victims of the Manchester Arena tragedy.
Those familiar with the city will find the video a nostalgic and emotive wander through its streets and across its skyline, taking in its modern cityscape vistas and its quieter, older corners and back streets. But more than that, it is a great song. It is dreamlike and hypnotic, ambient and pulsing, like a beating digital heart pumping hope and reassurance through its often cold, rain strewn streets as sonorous, haunting saxophones and distant electronica add to the desolate chill of the night.
Whichever part of the story of the story appeals to you, and to be honest all four parts are complimentary and entwined this is the right song for the time, a vision that tough times don’t last forever and a reminder that there is a brighter place beyond the metaphorical rain.
