Track Review: High Flying Birds // S J Denney
Beginning as a choir boy performing across his local county, UK-based singer-songwriter S J Denney knew he could sing from a young age – but the choir was just the start of a successful music career. The next step was to learn to play the clarinet and then using the musical theory, S J Denney began teaching himself to play the guitar while writing original material. With experience touring with bands across the UK and Ireland, S J Denney knows how to work with others; however, his solo project has caught our eye. The latest addition to his discography is the single ‘High Flying Birds’.
Following his single well-received track ‘Wishful Thinking’, Denney begins 2023 with a soothing tone in ‘High Flying Birds’. When speaking about ‘High Flying Birds’, Denney explains that “one evening, I met up with a friend who was telling me about something they were going through. As soon as I got home, I picked up a guitar and the song was born…” What I truly enjoy is how the smooth, flowing nature of ‘High Flying Birds’ calms your spirit but retains the profoundness and desperate provocativeness of his evocative melodies.
Mostly a self-recorded and produced single, ‘High Flying Birds’ displays the artistry of being a completely solo singer-songwriter. While this is a collaborative project when it comes to mixing and mastering with Mat Leppanen and Nigel Palmer respectively, this single still has that “one-man sincerity” to it. Using strings, piano, guitars and drums, the arrangement immediately tosses you into a sonic swirl filled with soft kaleidoscopic lights flitting before your eyes.
One thing I find intriguing about ‘High Flying Birds’ is the folk meets indie-rock sound fusing Oasis with tinges of Elton John into the mix. I find this fascinating and amusing because, as S J Denny puts it, “Elton John has a song called ‘High Flying Bird’ and Noel Gallagher has a band called High Flying Birds. I’ve always loved the title/name and thought it was time another song used it…”
This artist was found on Musosoup #sustainablecurator