Josh Curnow became a household name after appearing on the show ‘Britain’s Got Talent’. He caught a lot of people’s attention as well as the judges with his version of Green Day’s “Basket Case” (which the band approved of).
However, after his TV appearance, his career took a huge leap in the right direction. Curnow says “It was everything I had been trying to achieve in my musical career and playing to a home audience of roughly 14 million people was an incredible feeling. It has opened some doors I may not have necessarily found on my own.’ Now he is ready to begin a new chapter with the release of his debut album “RISE”.
When you first listen to RISE in full, there is a lot of things that stand out. One of them is how the sound of the album varies, but it does so in a naturally flowing way. A perfect example of this is “Be the Tree” which starts as a ballad but evolves into something high tempo. Then you have “Old Guitar” which offers a chilled summer vibe, as well as a few slower tracks. This release ensures there is something here for everyone.
In the early days of his music, Curnow has always had a captivating vocal presence. He brings an emotive tone that has an impressive range and can pack a punch when needed. Over the past few years, this has become even stronger, as his TV appearance proved. RISE is the perfect showcase of this talent, with no weak performance. To hear how good he has become, press play on the song “Charlie”.
This track begins with a delicate and emotive piano display. Reflecting this mood, Curnow comes in with “I know this war is not mine to fight / But baby please be brave for me / As the lighting tares the walls down / I’ll be frightened, but I will not leave”. The emotion within his voice brings this song to life. When it comes to its hook, he delivers the lines with so much passion and power. It gives “Cause I won’t go down, down in this battleground / No I won’t fall down, down cause you need me / And god only knows if my brothers will fall / But I won’t go down down down” extra impact.
‘RISE’ has been a long time coming but Josh Curnow made sure it was worth the wait
From previous releases, Curnow has shown that he knows how to mould words to grab listeners attention. This side to his talent has become even stronger. Especially how he creates infectious hooks that you will not forget as “Had Enough” will prove.
The intro uses the piano to create an atmosphere that feels like it is building up to something big. As the story reflects a relationship coming towards the end, the verses have a low key feel to reflect the mood. However, this changes at its chorus as the tempo increases. The vocals become an anthemic war cry, as he shares lines such as “It’s time to walk away and get my feet back on the ground / Because I have had enough”.
From all of the tracks that are on offer, “Satellites” stands out the most. Its energy is uplighting and infectious. Even during the slower moments of the intro and verses, its subtle beat keeps you moving. When the explosive chorus arrives, it is difficult not to sing along to “Cause she’s shining / She’s shining down / Cause she’s shining / Yes she’s shining down”.
RISE shows how far this songwriter has come and the result is easily his best work to date. His lyrical and vocal talents have become so much stronger. Add to this an impressive variation in sound, and you get an album that will catch a lot of people’s attention. It is easy to see why Josh Curnow is excited about this new chapter of his career.
