Castles In Your Eyes by Alan Osborne “There’s delicacy and distortion here working in unison”

‘Castles’ In Your Eyes’ is a distinctly memorable rock song that has been really well written and recorded.

The melody and concept of the song comes through as something you might find in a pop-meet-EDM spin-off, though the musicality is notably modern rock. The underlying atmosphere of the track actually takes a little of the softness from acoustic guitar music and later fuses it with the angst and attitude of metal. There’s delicacy and distortion here working in unison, and it works well.

Structurally the song showcases the ups and downs with power, taking full advantage of the strong effects of contrast, and intermittently highlighting some cool and stylish riffs that bring about both the bass heavy end of the spectrum and the higher, lighter sound of electronic rock. The leading vocalist carries the sentiment of the song flawlessly. It’s not an intrusive voice, it’s that of an observer – the lyrics are about a significant other, or a particular type of other person, and never does it bring in the concept of ‘I’. This perspective makes for a reflective and thought provoking experience, and the leading vocalist has the perfect kind of tone and performance style to present it all in the most relevant way.

It’s a really powerful song, musically creative and enjoyable to listen to, structurally considerate and forever utilising change and evolution, though always sticking with the essence of the song – the riffs, the melody, that hook. It gives you something to think about, and it makes certain you’re hearing the key line going around in your head after listening. The added benefit is that it’s not an irritating or overbearing melody. It’s a pleasure to hear, and you’re likely to recognise this song in an instant.

By Rebecca Cullen

Rebecca is a Musician and writer from Manchester, UK, with an MA in Song Writing