Scene and Heard  –  CCLXXXVII  Day After Day –  Lord Conrad (reviewed by Dave Franklin)

Pop music may be a young persons scene but that doesn’t mean that the market will put up with a lower standard product than any other genre. Far from it, if you want to keep the pop dollar on side as the teen fan grows into a more discerning music fan then you need to deliver songs which offer both immediacy and sparkle but are well wrought and sophisticated. Throw away songs may be great for the quick buck but even the most cynical record label marketing department knows that there is no future in that route. The clue is after all in the name…throw away.

Following hot on the heels of his critically and commercially well-received single Touch The Sky, this second outing follows a more chilled route. Rather than the anthemic vibes he worked with before, Day After Day wanders through more hazy sonic ground, plays with dynamic highs and lows, subtle drop downs and shimmering crescendos, but the overall sound is more reserved and largely understated. It is slickly done and stands head and shoulders above most of the pop fare coming from the same quarter.

These two songs make for a wonderful statement of musical intent and show that he is at home with both the dance floor groove and the more smoke like sounds of the early hours chill out session, a versatility which bodes well for the future.