Single Review: This Year/Resolution

Thames-based lo-fi alternative indie pop musician Bevan Mical is back with his first single since last year’s Exhausting The Muse album. That was his third album, and following on from the success of that, he is bringing us into 2022 with a song of hope. “Maybe this year” is a repeated lyric, and that is something which everyone in the world can surely agree with, as we all hope that this is the year where we become free again of all the shackles we have been wearing. Not all of those are COVID or society-related, sometimes they are within our own minds, but here there is hope that we can get through it and allow ourselves to thrive.

Bevan is a multi-instrumentalist, in a very lo-fi manner, with vocals that are deliberately downplayed with less attention on pure melody and more on the lyrics. At times, his voice is reminiscent of Julian Cope combined with Damon Albarn, while the arrangements are sparse and simple. This is not music created in a flash studio with top musicians, but instead is something performed and brought together with real heart. Bevan creates music because he must, even though he knows it is unlikely to be accepted by the masses who always want something which is performed to a clearly understood plastic formulae. He has a strong understanding of the melodic hook, and this has a very catchy chorus which is easy to sing along with. He may not be to everyone’s tastes, but if you are looking for music being produced by someone who lives and breathes everything he does then this is for you.