Track Review: Yellowlees // Keepsake
Hailing from the South Coast of the UK, singer-songwriter Pete Rapp, under the name Yellowlees, makes music to captivate your senses and enchant your soul. Known for his engaging, enthusiastic and passion-filled live shows, this 23-year-old folk-pop artist is obviously quite charismatic in the flesh; but, it’s not just his shows that make him stand out from the rest. Receiving critical acclaim from notable publications on an international scale, Yellowlees is described as “infectiously captivating and stirringly poignant” (Atwood Magazine). The latest addition to his repertoire is ‘Keepsake’.
A follow-up to his well-received single ‘Eliza’, ‘Keepsake’ is a steadier, smoother and more sophisticated track. I’m not saying ‘Eliza’ is an immature attempt at making you love his music, but ‘Keepsake’ seems to be a more mature and insightful reflection of his situation.
“I wrote ‘Keepsake’ right as the UK was heading into lockdown due to the pandemic. The word felt like a very scary place and the situation was changing every minute…it felt like a time where people needed one another. The lyrics dive into a situation where people are forced to be apart from one another, but we are determined to overcome it… Every now and again, we need to take a step back from the cynicism and try to give our all to somebody and that’s what this song is about.” – Yellowlees on ‘Keepsake’
Mostly guitar-driven, but incorporating synths and electric drums near the end, ‘Keepsake’ is a tranquil ballad with optimistic sensitivity. The simplicity of the instrumentation already calms a listener, but it is Yellowlees’ warm and bold vocals that make it charming and endearing.