“Bumped into Love” from Canadian born vocalist Randy Lyght is another stellar entry in a long career that’s seen the world, toured with some of the genre’s most renowned vocal outfits, and has an increasingly impressive discography attesting to his continued evolution as a musical and performing artist. The single hails from Lyght’s most recent album, a fourth studio release entitled Another Side of Me, and he obviously owes an enormous debt to the work of younger peers like Harry Connick Jr with this release. They differ in one key respect, if none other – Lyght’s work is shot through a little more with bluesy gravitas and vocal warmth that reassures listeners from the first. For all intents and purposes, “Bumped into Love” is a flawless track with a playfulness and deep emotion surrounding every second of its running time that will surely enchant longtime admirers and newcomers as well.
https://randylyght.com/track/1214808/bumped-into-love
There’s a great, easy going mix that draws listeners in from the first. The blending of Lyght’s voice, its smooth texture, the lightly bouncing swing of the instruments, and the luminescent glow coming off the horn section make for a potent stew. It’s a cliché in itself to say they don’t write or record songs like this anymore because they obviously do, but Lyght is one of the truest stewards of a musical tradition that enjoyed tremendous popularity for many years. There is a definite commercial aspect to what he does, Lyght and his musical partners obviously place a high premium on melody, but there’s also a smooth surface to the package capable of exerting a lot of allure for listeners and it never sounds overly calculated. Some music of this ilk has taken knocks for being too orderly, drained of any danger, and insincere, but you can’t reasonably hear any of that in Lyght’s interpretation. It’s original while referencing the familiar and has real charm that doesn’t soon grate on listeners.
His voice, however, is the unquestionable heart of the recording. He comes in early and commandeers the song with a sort of unflappable joy that comes across sounding utterly natural and full of gently pushing force. It’s a mark of his extensive experience that he never bears down too hard on even a single passage and comes at everything with just the right sonic and emotional velocity. There’s excellent balance between the instrumental mix and Lyght’s voice that helps the song sustain the audience’s attention without ever betraying any apparent lull in the action. “Bumping into Love” is a bit of bumping into greatness and the gliding, assured manner that Randy Lyght tackles this tune makes it one of 2018’s early winners. It’s a thoroughly inviting, human experience that fills the heart of anyone listening and promises that Lyght’s latest solo album is a musical ride no one should miss.
Find Rany Lyght on iHEART RADIO: https://www.iheart.com/artist/randy-lyght-31467590/songs/bumped-into-love-46380264/
-review by Lance Wright
