Going retro is nothing new, and can actually feel new only if the artist truly catches that retro spirit he is trying to recreate, or actually create.
That not only involves precisely locating a certain piece or pieces of music in the time/space he is recreating, but also the genre such music is set in. Yet to make it sound fresh, the artist has to bridge the time/space of then, with the time/space of now – make it work in the current musical setting too.
Usually, just doing the right moves will not cut it, but the artist has not only to know well that retro sound but to actually feel the spirit of that music and make it fit within the current musical climate.
That is exactly what Vancouver alt-country singer-songwriter Geoff Gibbons does on his latest single “Feet Out The Window.”
Gibbons recreates the early ’70s alt-country/soft rock sound – from The Byrds and The Eagles to that so characteristic ’70s California sound.
He recreates not only the basics of that sound but imbues the song with the original spirit of the sound, also reflected in the lyrics of this song. Yet, with his personal involvement, Gibbons is able to make the connection with current times, and gives it a personal touch that works:
“The song was born after a conversation with a friend who had recently gone through a tough marriage break up…wishing to remember his former partner in the best of their time together,” says Gibbons, coming up with an excellent slice of both retro and modern Americana.
