Mick ‘n’ Phil are a music duo from Glasgow, as well as being twin brothers.
They have been playing together for roughly six years, beginning in 2013 by playing their music for friends and family and progressing as a music act they have built a great platform for themselves and a sustainable music career.
They have played in some extraordinary venues around Glasgow such as: King Tuts and 02 ABC (both venues) and have established an impressive fan base with the help of some local radio station coverage. You can find their music and some performances on their social medias which I will link at the end.
Their latest release: ‘The Key’ is an outstanding piece of work which I have the pleasure of writing a small review for. From the minute I heard the track, I was enticed by the compelling instrument intro followed by the strong lead vocals.
The opening verse sets a calm yet engaging tone, encouraging you to listen on.
We are then met by the first set of lyrics, “First time that I heard your name, made my blood draw – not in vain.” This sets the tone and gives an insight to theme of the song though also leaves you wondering whether this is your typical love song, which we soon find is not.
The vocal melodies on the opening verse are presented in a great fashion and they complement the lyrics nicely, the first verse is full and expressive through lyrics, vocals and sound which have been created beautifully.
The next lyrics which stood out to me are: “Ain’t no pot of gold at the end of this rainbow.” (signifying this is not ya typical love song but the opposite) I thought this was very clever and descriptive, indicating the writer is waiting for something good to come of a bad situation – but what they are waiting or hoping for, won’t be there at the end of the journey.
This whole verse is completed with soulful and distinctive harmonies which have been brilliantly put together. The opening structure sets the mood for the continuation of the song with an infectious rhythm, we are then blown away by the intriguing guitar riff which opens the chorus.
This song is telling the story of a heartbreak, of how you can trust someone with a thing so fragile and believe they’ll do good with it - to be met with the fate that trust can be broken very easily. You can be blinded by many things when in love and you will be oblivious to the truth, even when its right in front of you. You can make excuses to cover for someone’s actions or you can act yourself a confront the situation – which is what has been described throughout the lyrics.
“loving you ain’t good for me”
“I thought you were the one, to open that door”
Admitting when you are wrong or have misjudged a situation can be hard when you hide behind pride, “Why are you so upset, this is your regret.” This lyric for me, is a complete eye opener. You often find once someone has been outed for doing wrong, they feel pity for themselves in hope to gain compassion from others. So, this lyric puts an end to that, questioning how you could be upset when you put yourself in this situation. “look what you’ve done…you broke the key” – reference to breaking hearts? The play on the lyrics continues to build this song to be catchy and thought-provoking…
The chorus I must say is my favourite part, all elements work so well together. The lyrics are a bold statement and the guitar riff is incredibly smooth. The vocals are rich and expressive and all harmonies/melodies mould very nicely together, it’ s no doubt the structure has been carefully thought out and placed accordingly.
From the introduction, it sets a calm and mystic tone. The harmonies are introduced, and the vocals get stronger, this all encourages the lead up to the burst of sound (vocals, guitar and drums) at the chorus. The song unfolds extremely well, each lyric explains itself as the story goes on with a balanced and original sound.
We are consistently met with something new, from the rhythm to the vocals and the instrument arrangement/variety. This is an amazing track and is ended with another lovely and simple guitar riff.
The song is tremendous – the elements work smoothly together, and all efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. What a brilliant track from Mick ‘n’ Phil!
The Key song link: https://open.spotify.com/album/3cbVrTwCN6G6BOpZXrDIvo
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/micknphil/
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