TJ Doyle

Glistening guitars. A polished percussive volley. Pristine vocals slinking through the shadows, desperate for someone to hear their message and yet too timid to come out from behind the bulge of the bassline. This is “Ancient Wind,” the new single from TJ Doyle, and although it’s possibly the most complicated song that the acclaimed singer/songwriter has released in the last couple of years, it’s also inarguably one of the finest from a critical perspective. “Ancient Wind” exploits Doyle’s skill, and that of his backing band, for everything that it’s worth and then some, and delivers unto us a listening experience worthy of the moniker that produced it.

The percussion in this song is as noticeable as any of the harmonies dominating the top of the mix are, and in a few spots, I think that it keeps us glued to our speakers a little more than the guitar parts do (to be fair, not a common occurrence in TJ Doyle’s music). There’s a great pulse to this beat, and even when there’s a lot of action going on to the left and right of the drum’s steady flow, scarcely is there a moment where we’re ignorant to the majestic backbone it creates from start to finish in “Ancient Wind.”

SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/tjdoylemusic/ancient-wind-single 

Doyle’s vocal is a lot more reserved in this single than it has been in his last few releases, but frankly, it makes sense for this kind of a composition. His playful hesitance adds to the homespun feel of the harmonies enormously, and were he not as conservative in his approach here, I don’t know that this would be even half as engaging (and endearing) as it is in this state. Real time and emotion went into crafting this single to be everything that it is, and that shouldn’t go unpraised by critics for a second this fall. I’ve come to expect a lot out of the TJ Doyle Band, but “Ancient Wind” really is an exceptional addition to the discography of a man that I would count among the more underrated singer/songwriters of his scene – and furthermore, his generation. 

Whether it’s his heart-melting vocal or his sly style of guitar-slinging, TJ Doyle has got something in his repertoire almost certain to make you weak at the knees in this song, and if you haven’t already taken the time out to explore his larger collection of releases, I can almost guarantee you’ll want to after hearing the immaculate melodies contained here. 

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Trace Whittaker

Newcastle-upon-Tyne

10/2019