(May 31, 2019) Soul singer Noel Gourdin’s husky baritone proves wide and rangy enough to encompass both poles of the relationship thing on tunes “Low Down” and “Lovin’ Up,” two collaborations with producer Regi Myrix taken from an anticipated EP that will be released later in the summer.
“Lovin’ Up” is an expression of the sweet feel of discovery, while “Low Down” is a tale that explores the harsh light of discovery. “Lovin’ Up,” is a mid-tempo track that uses the opening bass line riff from Michael Jackson’s classic “Can’t Help It” as a the jumping off point before transforming into a bouncy track where that bass line – along with some kicking drums and feathery keyboard – serve as the foundation. Gourdin’s mature baritone caresses lyrics that express his good that has come his way in the form of the lady in his life. He has no plans to give the love that he feels to anyone else.
Gourdin gives us something totally different on “Low Down,” a soulful number about a man who realizes that after all of the ways that he tried to let his woman know that the love fires were cooling, his choice to slip out is going to have consequences. Those consequences will leave him labeled as a “low down dirty…” Gourdin displays his range on this number, moving from that distinctive gravelly baritone to an angelic high tenor, as he tries to explain what led him to stray and try to state his case for reconciliation.
Gourdin acknowledges that the lyrics for “Low Down” were torn from the headlines of personal experience. “After listening to the instrumental music for “Low Down”, I first gravitated to the last 4 bars of the Hook sequence. It was most definitely saying something to me, and it said, “I’m a Low, a Low-Down dirty shame”. I got out of a long-term relationship last year, and most of these lyrics are from a personal space and are extremely heartfelt and real.”
Check it out here.
By Howard Dukes