Feenstra and Simpson’s eighth single, ‘Prospect of Love’, was released on June 17 on all leading social media platforms.
‘Prospect of Love’ is the kind of snappy, harmony heavy pop-song with a biting Wilko Johnson guitar attack that has marked the pop-rock duo of guitarist/multi-instrumentalist and vocalist John Simpson and songwriter Pete Feenstra as channelling the melodic sensibility of the likes of Squeeze, Travelling Wilburys, Tom Petty, Gerry Rafferty and The Beatles.
Conceptually speaking; ‘Prospect of Love’ had some twists and turns before it was fully realised as John Simpson explains:
“When Pete first sent me the lyrics, he told me he heard it as an Andy Williams tune. As sometimes happens, I sit down with the guitar, and musically, the song takes off in a direction all of its own. I’m afraid the crooner fell by the wayside. “Moon River” it’s not, but it’s got more chords than you can shake a stick at, and hopefully it should be pleasant on the ear for pop and rock fans. “
For Pete, the song came about very quickly:
“Some songs take ages, while others seem to present themselves. I was in a departure lounge prior for a short haul flight back to Gatwick, and I had a melody in my head and the song title, and yes, I initially thought of it as an Andy Williams conversational love song. The lyrics flowed as fast as the chronology of the narrative, so much so that when I got to the passport control, I was completely absorbed in nailing the last line. As always, John came up with the punchy guitar parts and the resonant oooh’s and aahs.”
The song is supported by the latest visual interpretation by the innovative Stuart Ridgard, who cleverly evokes lyrical meaning, while the finale makes a musical connection between John Simpson and his hero, the late Wilko Johnson, whose guitar he plays on the outro.
“When she read my star sign,
Her sun eclipsed my moon,
Like a drop of fine wine,
It all went down too soon…”
My review:
At 2 minutes, 26 seconds, this is a nippy number that certainly takes me into those smooth pop sounds of the mid sixties. It’s really very catchy, with plenty of easy swing in the melody and a chorus that you can still sing after the track is long over. The guitar breaks are fun and the guys, you can tell, are having a great time. Sometimes songs don’t have to rewrite the musical world, they just have to put a smile on your face and leave you happier at the end of them. This is what this song does. I would happily listen to it again, and I will. It’s also very radio friendly and I wish the big radio stations were a bit more adventurous in playing new music rather than sticking to the tried-and-tested tracks of yesteryear. Come on, Ms. DJ, on my radio, be brave and give some new material such as this a go!
A little note on the video, which I liked too, like the single, it was good fun.
You can stream it here
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By Lorraine Foley