Review – ‘Don’t Look Up, Don’t Look Down’
In this review, I’m going to be delving into a track that Ray Noble, an independent music industry veteran, has released in collaboration with several other performers. ‘Don’t Look Up, Don’t Look Down’ was co-written with Bryan Vaughan, who also plays guitar on the studio recording of the new song. Joining Noble and Vaughan is Jimi Vaughan on bass. Let’s get right into the track and figure out what’s happening with it.
‘Don’t Look Up, Don’t Look Down’ is your classic early 1970s acoustic singer songwriter inspired recording. Noble has been lauded for his vocal prowess in the past, and those accolades stand tall on this track. There isn’t anything exceptional about his presence, but it is remarkably suitable for the song. Noble doesn’t pull out any tricks or anything new, but what he does offer is a consistent, on-tempo performance that matches well with the harmonies and sporadic “doo da’s.”
Lyrically, the song is well-penned. One look at Noble’s catalog of influence and covers makes the ties to Bob Dylan and the like immediately apparent. This is much more singer songwriter and poppy than anything Dylan ever did, though, save his early 70s musings in Woodstock, New York. I’d argue ‘Don’t Look Up, Don’t Look Down’ pulls influence from some classic blue-eyed harmonies. After Vaughan’s wonderful solo, the best part of the tune comes in full force: those call and response harmonies. That’s straight out of the Everly Brothers’ playbook.
On the production end, everything is running smooth and just the way it should on this song. The mix is nicely organized, the master is slick and warm, and everything in the production accentuates the rest of the pieces with fantastic harmony. Sometimes, indie artists struggle to capture that warm sound, and get tinny timbre and bright sonics instead. It’s nailed well here.
‘Don’t Look Up, Don’t Look Down’ occupies the space it intends to perfectly. It’s the perfect track for the listener that’s itching for some soft, introspective acoustic sounds. The softer elements of blue-eyed soul and pop are most welcome, providing a personality for the song it would have lacked it if it was just a singer songwriter effort.
By Brett Stewart
I’m a professional writer and editor, a journalism major, and I have extensive experience in musical review. I worked for two years as the Editor & Chief of an arts magazine, Strike Magazine, where I worked closely with writers and musicians. Through this, I was able to interact with dozens of acts including Heart, Holly Williams, Robert Cray, John Hiatt, and more. The magazine printed thousands of issues and was even recognized by Rolling Stone’s founder, Jann Wenner.
