Normally, when I am reviewing singles for MNZ the turnaround time we work to is 7 days and it is not unusual for me to work on far tighter deadlines than that, but Ayla was incredibly well organised with the promotion for her second single, and I have been playing this for the last 3 weeks at least. In that time it has become a real earworm, and I have even found myself singing it as I walk around (not a pleasant experience for anyone in the vicinity, let me assure you). She describes herself as an indie folk/rock artist, but I don’t hear a lot of folk in this one, but lots of power pop, commercial rock, guitars, a great voice, wonderful arrangement and stacks of hooks.
There is something about this song which is bouncy, full of fun, and packed with the summer sun and is fresh, inviting, and a solid blast. With a full band behind her, special attention has been paid to the arrangements so there are times when she is harmonising with herself, others when she is acapella, while we can have thumping drums or delicate rimshots, the band sitting back or coming forward to drive the song on. The result is a rock/pop single which surely is destined to sit on radio playlists and the charts, as this is a blast from beginning to end and something I have enjoyed immensely. Apparently Ayla has been gigging in Tauranga and Auckland but so far I have missed her, and that is something I need to correct immediately if not sooner. I thoroughly enjoyed her debut single, Salamanders, but this takes her songwriting and performance to a whole new level. Now when are we going to get an album?
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About the author Kev Rowland
From 1990 – 2006 I ran Feedback fanzine in the UK, writing about bands that were rarely covered in the mainstream press, many of whom were in the underground scene. I built close ties with many British Progressive groups in particular, including writing the newsletter for Freewill, getting gigs for Credo and writing the introduction to Galahad’s OCMDII compilation. I reviewed literally thousands of cassettes and then CDs from bands from throughout the world, and was lucky enough to interview many of them. During this period I also contributed to the French progzine Acid Dragon, wrote for the music newspaper Rock ‘n’ Reel and was also involved with the Ghostland website. In 2006 I moved to NZ, and stopped running Feedback (which was then renamed Amplified after I left, at my request) having produced over 80 editions with more than 11,000 pages of print and heaven knows how many reviews
More by Kev Rowland
Gig Review: Crushfest @ The Tuning Fork, Auckland – 07/07/2023
Single Review: Love and War
Single Review: All This Time
Single Review: Sons of Savages
Gig Review: Stray Dogs @ AUX, Auckland – 26/05/2023
Gig Review: Turkey The Bird @ The Ministry of Folk, Auckland – 27/05/2023
Single Review: Beautiful Creature
Gig Review: Emily Rice @ Your Local Coffee Roasters, Pukekohe – 24/05/2023
EP Review: Bridge City Crew
Single Review: Your Heart of Gold
Single Review: The Strangest Dream
Single Review: No Funeral Blues
