Track Review: CircleWalk // Sano Hill
Inspired by life in its entirety, Ireland-based Sano Hill brings emotive, expressive and reflective songs to the masses. While he is currently recording his debut album with three tracks on his Spotify, Sano Hill has played to audiences across North America and Ireland. Described by the Galway Advertiser as being “blessed with a strong and distinctive voice”, this natural talent has an inventive sound to soothe the soul. The latest addition to his discography is ‘CircleWalk’.
As I mentioned, Sano Hill is inspired by life in its entirety and his upcoming album (tentatively entitled If Not Now, When) tracks the course of a romantic relationship from happy beginnings to dissolution and dealing with the breakup. The third track from the album, ‘CircleWalk’ touches on the issue of communication breakdown in the relationship. Sano Hill explains that the track is a song about “…when two people can’t find the words to say how they feel and instead walk in circles around what they need to say. This song [‘CircleWalk’] is about expression, about breaking the silence.”
Recorded with producer Larry Hogan at Windmill Lane Studios, ‘CircleWalk’ adopts a full band sound in its melodic arrangement. As with the previous single ‘Starting Over’, ‘CircleWalk’ has a bold, rich sound; however, there is a darker element to the melody. The dynamic guitars meld well with saxophone, pounding drums and percussion creating a strong foundation for the textured track. The element that screams desperation, melancholy and inner turmoil is Sano Hill’s vocal execution. Creating an almost palpable grittiness to the arrangement, Sano Hill seems to scream his way through the painful sonic bubble.
Sincere, sentimental, introspective and brutally honest, ‘CircleWalk’ connects with listeners on a deeper level. What I find intriguing is how Sano Hill tells his partner to “say what you want to” in a “done with it” attitude, but still draws them closer pleading for communication. It’s inspiring, breath-taking and highly recommended.