The Neon Brotherhood Stephen Sutton

Single review: The Neon Brotherhood – ‘Hope Ain’t A Bad Thing’

This memorial track for charity campaigner Stephen Sutton has gained lots of traction this week, storming into the iTunes charts and currently sits at number five in the mid-week chart.

Forgetting the great cause it’s for for a moment, this is a very raw, basically produced number that you will either love or find awkward to listen to. The vocals sound quiet in the mix compared to the instrumental, and there’s a feel of a quick, live recording to it.

It’s a difficult song to review as the emotion stirred up from the sombre composition in light of Sutton’s death sits with you, but musically it’s simple and bitty, but has a distinct chorus that proves to be the hub of the piece.

As a gritty, quickly recorded piece for a good cause it works, but could do with a bit of trimming and cleaning up to be musically more solid.

(6/10)

Post Author: Philip Lickley