Written by ∆³
I watch a lot of HBO series movies (when time lets me). From Big Little Lies to Sharp Objects, and, at times, a regrettable favorite of mine, True Detective. The scenes often depicted in these dramas are quite unpredictable, lucidly vivid, and astonishingly unforgettable, however, the most fascinating thing for me is the music that’s often used to score them. No, I haven’t just yet garnered the task of music supervision for any of those aforementioned screenplays, but I get what it takes to tell a story through the synergies of sound design. When I heard Nuela Charles’ latest Alternative Soul Single release, “Long Way Down,” the song had a certain screen-like vigor. The music itself is soundtrack savvy.
Nuela Charles is a Kenyan born yet Canadian raised Alternative Soul singer songwriter, who released her first studio album, “Aware” in 2012. Nuela’s “Aware” quickly achieved Canadian acclaim, being nominated for Western Canadian Music’s Urban Recording of the Year and winner of the Edmonton Music Prize’s Album of the Year.
Nuela, who draws from a wide range of artists like Nothing But Thieves, Arctic Monkeys, Reignwolf, and Kimbra, seems to accommodate her varied tastes into a passionate, fiery, and soulful sound that has vibrated well into her two albums following “Aware,” “Grand Hustle” & “Distant Danger.” Nuela Charles offers an empowering and soulful vibe on “Long Way Down.” She has a catalogue of fiery soul that can be streamed on platforms like Apple Music, Google Play, Spotify, and YouTube Music.
The beginning of the song starts with an assertively annotated piano pace against Nuela Charles’s cryptic cantor with lyrics, “It’s a long way down…” Right away we get the vibe that Nuela is ready to get down to business. In the first verse “I’ve got a story I could tell ya, / but it’s nothing like the fairytales they sell to, / all the pretty ladies and all the pretty men, / who fake it till they make it; they only play pretend.” Nuela poses a powerful way to delightfully impart truth to listeners through a triumphant yet introspective produced track.
This song came out of a session with production duo Towers. As we were writing it, the production began to feel inspired by old chain-gang songs,” says Nuela. “The fierce stomps and claps in the beat were being looped around, and I kept hearing the words long way down accompanied by the image of a river in my head.”
Nuela’s soul-fire on her latest single seems to unknowingly stir you into its whimsical whips, to the point that, you almost forget how witty her writing has already won you over. At that point, Nuela offers a chance for uplifting with the latter of the first verse’s “heart revolution,” where she lyrically and songfully adjoins what appears to be the familiar fall from grace that everyone faces. The piece has a way of expressing the path it takes to climb the ladder of any success. Nuela Charles’ “Long Way Down” is just as poignant as it is benevolent in its entirety with its messaging and competitive edginess.
Thematically, I wanted “Long Way Down” to feel hopeful and soulful. It’s a reflection on today’s world – the glorification of status and money, the fear of losing it,” says Nuela. “Society loves to watch people fail (Britney much?!) Despite this, there is a blessing to stripping it all away and starting anew. A fresh slate may be one of the hardest things you’ll ever go through, but it can truly be a blessing.”
We hear so much about the enormous list of Canadian artists that have taken over the airwaves that sometimes, it’s easy to forget that there are other up and coming talented singers. In the case of Nuela Charles and her latest Alternative Soul release, “Long Way Down,” she is without a doubt killing the game with style, skill, and soul.
Nuela is one of those singers that my usual and typical choices of art amusement almost took me away from, but I’m so grateful that it didn’t. She is indeed the real deal. She offers listeners something different by through an inspirational track infused with heart and soul. Put em way, way up for Nuela Charles’s “Long Way Down!”
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