Ireland’s Sion Hill talks politics and revolution on groovy second single ‘Beaches’. Hailing from Mullinger, a small town in the Irish Midlands, Sion Hill (A.K.A. Nathan Johnston) is often described as being as soulful as John Mayer and as funky as Prince.
Hill’s first single ‘Nothing’s Wrong with Loving You’ has led to significant radio play on Radio 1 Germany, along with being selected as The Irish Times’ ‘Song of the Week’ and playlisted by Spotify Germany’s ‘New Music Friday’.
Lifted from the long-awaited debut ‘Elephant’, ’Beaches’ breaks from the Motown mood of his previous single to bask in funky summer scenery. Still, it’s not all fun in the sun, with Sion revealing that the riotous choir heard in the background symbolises a revolt against our dependence on technology, capitalism and shameless self-indulgence.
This is a great song and performance. The melody is strong and tuneful. The singer has an attractive vocal tone, and puts real feeling into the lyrics. The lyrics are interesting and meaningful with some punchy phrases. Instrumentally, the song has a rich, full accompaniment that complements the vocal track perfectly. Great guitar solo too, although I think a grittier tone would suit the dark mood of the song better.