Snows of Yesteryear release a splendid new single that magnificently integrates folk with a dazzling pop sensibility.  

Release date: Available now

Label: Self – released 

Format: streaming on all major platforms

Something Shatters is the new single by the Glasgow-based Snows of Yesteryear. Representing their third single release, it is a glimpse into what will be in store on their forthcoming debut album, due for release in May 2023. Snows of Yesteryear are comprised of Kathryn Orr, Yuuka Yamada-Garner and David Mitchell. In their music they offer an inviting combination of imaginative songwriting, superb musicianship, and a keen sense of place and storytelling in the words that  Kathryn Orr sings, with the vocal quality of the late great Sandy Denny.

The new single, Something Shatters, is an exquisite amalgam of traditional folk melodies and rhythms, with a note perfect 60s pop sensibility.  David Mitchell’s opening chiming guitar figure is overlayed by the sheen of a glockenspiel, gently introducing Kathryn Orr’s wonderfully expressive vocal. It is a voice imbued with a breathtaking ability to make every word count, and to soar to an emotional peak, supported by the impressionistic musical landscape created by these gifted musicians. Yuuka Yamada-Garner’s violin playing leads the music through romantic folk ballad motifs to gorgeous pop melodies.

The crisp drumming adds a nice jazz-like swing to the song, and Kathryn Orr’s harmony vocals add a real depth of musically to the engaging chorus. The intriguing lyrics of the chorus convey a sense of wonderment laced with a suggestion of foreboding:

“Something shatters in the night sky

Never has the darkness seemed so real.”

This is a beautifully written and performed song that encourages your imagination to fill in the story and places of the song, a rare achievement for any group of musicians. The production is also excellent, with a very sympathetic soundstage, that gives a crystal clarity to every instrument and fully brings out every nuance in the vocals. Give the single a listen, you will not be disappointed, and make sure to look out for the new album arriving in May.

Snows of Yesteryear’s previous singles, Wait By The Shore and Counting Stars, are also definitely worth following up.

You can view the official video for Counting Stars here:

For more information about Snows of Yesteryear – Website / Twitter / Instagram

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