Categories: REVIEWS

Harry Kappen – Where The Volcano Is Awake

Where The Volcano Is Awake” is the latest song by Harry Kappen, an outstanding singer-songwriter from Baarn, Netherlands. Perhaps it’s his latest piece of work in 2024, but it also appeared on “Time Will Tell,” an exceptional full-length album released this year that you should immediately check out. The artist previously stated that “Where the Volcano Is Awake” is one of his favorites of the latest material, and there’s pretty good reason for it. This song showcases his abilities as a prolific songwriter, composer, and producer, emphasizing all his skills, talent, knowledge, and experience. Each segment carries many marvelous vocal, sonic, and rhythmic maneuvers that make this song even more enjoyable. For those who somehow missed our previous writings about this excellent musician, Harry Kappen embraces many different but complementary music genres to illustrate such rich and luxurious sonic imagery. Perhaps alternative rock comes to mind first, but you’ll notice how some of the finest properties borrowed from eighties rock, indie rock, indie pop, alternative pop, and commercial pop found their way into this sonic equation. Harry Kappen uses all these additional elements as more than necessary enhancements, accentuations, decorations, and other details to uplift his song to new heights while remaining loyal to the primary sonic direction. Therefore, these experimentations with many different but complementary styles resulted in a mesmerizing composition that will unquestionably appeal to even the pickiest listeners and beyond.

Photo courtesy of the artist.

With the initial notes and beats, you’ll notice how “Where The Volcano Is Awake” combines nostalgia with modern sound. There are vividly hearable moments where the song resonates with some of the finest qualities of the eighties music while sound meets all the trends of modern production. Harry Kappen doesn’t joke with his music, as this song carries some of the finest instrumentations, vocal harmonies, and rhythmic patterns you’ll hear in a while. First of all, the vocal layers create such a calm, soothing, relaxing, ethereal atmosphere where all the low and high notes create vocal octaves. Kappen’s impressive vocal range allows the seamless balance between low, mid, and high notes that decorates everything this prolific musician intended to achieve with this track. These vocal harmonies command attention and guide the listening apparatus from scratch to finish, emphasizing all the segments and instrumentations. Speaking of instrumentations, the interplay between rhythm and lead guitars serves as a perfect backdrop for all the vocals to shine upon. You’ll hear how the comprehensive collection based upon ear-appealing chord progressions, riffs, harmonies, melodies, and themes develops a lush ambiance that will appeal to even the pickiest music enthusiasts. There’s a layer of keyboard melodies, harmonies, and ambiance lurking over the top, adding more depth and complexity to an already intricate structure.

Of course, this composition wouldn’t sound this good without the rock-solid rhythm section. You’ll notice how the profoundly detailed, vividly hearable, warm-sounding basslines roar beneath the guitars and keys, offering more than necessary heftiness, clearness, and deepness while binding everything with drums. In the meantime, the excellent rhythmic patterns based upon moderate, tastefully assembled, flawlessly performed, well-accentuated beats, breaks, fills, and other percussive acrobatics keep the remainder of orchestrations in line while dictating groove and pace. Harry Kappen thought about even the tiniest details and nuances while assembling this mesmerizing composition, and you’ll instantly realize how each instrumentation plays a significant role in this sonic equation. He thoroughly planned the entire structure, garnered it with intricate segments, brilliant ideas, and catchy orchestrations, so this song carries everything you ever needed from alternative, indie, and pop music with a subtle touch of the eighties nostalgia. Harry Kappen knows how to assemble catchy, memorable, engaging numbers where all his qualities as a composer and musician shine in the limelight. You should check out “Where The Volcano Is Awake” as soon as possible. Don’t miss it!

Djordje Miladinović

Hi, my name is Djordje and music is my passion. You'll probably find me at the gigs, in a local record store, distro or in front of my PC searching for some quality music to listen to. Do not hesitate to contact me. By becoming a Patron, you're keeping Thoughts Words Action alive. https://www.patreon.com/thoughtswordsaction

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