This track screams summer soul!
Wow!
From the top, guitar virtuoso Cory Wong opens fire with muted guitar playing 16ths although I get the feeling that may be delays, and the guitar sound over that comes in over the top playing the main riff.. I can’t even get my head around it.. it’s clean, it’s harmonised, it just made my heart sing!
But here’s the thing – it’s the vocals, and Ben delivers this in such a way that you can really feel his love for the person he’s singing about, you feel the emotions in this song, he has a part where he goes mmm mmm mmm mmm – Sometimes you just don’t have the words – sometimes you just don’t have the melody but right there that tells me he was just speechless in both areas.
It’s the outro that kills me though the adlibs after the guitar solo with the ah yeahs finished me off.. honestly this song is a guaranteed crowd pleaser as we are invited to sing along.
This sits well within Cory’s MO as the first time I’d ever heard of him was when a colleague played me the video of his band Vulfpeck playing Dublin and I could hear thousands of people singing the BASSLINE. Yes. The BASSLINE to Deantown, so this doesn’t surprise me at all.
I’ve listened to this five times on my way into work…
There will be a few more times. I can guarantee that.
Grammy-nominated guitarist, producer and composer Cory Wong is set to release his much-anticipated fourth solo studio album The Lucky One, which will be released on Roundwound Media on August 18th 2023. In addition to a skyrocketing solo career, which will see him perform his biggest UK headline show to date at the 5000-capacity Eventim Apollo in London this autumn, Wong is also a member of the internationally acclaimed funk-jam band Vulfpeck and hosts his hugely popular podcast Wong Notes and variety show Cory Wong And The Wong Notes. Two tracks from Wong’s new album – ‘Ready’ which features American singer-songwriter Ben Rector and ‘Look At Me’ featuring Allen Stone – are out now:
Wong’s career continues to go from strength to strength and in recent years has seen him selling out shows all over the world in prestigious venues including New York’s Madison Square Garden, gracing the cover of magazines, collaborating with the likes of Jon Batiste, Tom Misch, Victor Wooten, and the Metropole Orchestra amongst many others, releasing signature products (including a Signature Fender Strat) and launching unique educational opportunities like 4th Position Academy (which provides online guitar courses to musicians of all ages and abilities).
Featuring guest appearances from a multitude of collaborators, including LA based jazz-funk multi-instrumentalist Louis Cole and UK YouTube star Dodie, The Lucky One is a soulful, funk-fuelled 13-track collection presented in Wong’s now signature style – a seamless blend of genres, prodigious guitar playing, irrepressible energy and an innate knack for a hook. “Most of the albums I’ve made have all been recorded live in a room or on the set of my YouTube variety show,” says Wong. “This time around I wanted to have a more controlled and isolated studio environment that really showcases more of my chops as a producer. The spirit of this album is in collaboration, and I’m thrilled to have some of my favourite artists on this album as collaborators.”
CORY WONG UK TOUR 2023
October 11th London – Eventim Apollo
October 12th Birmingham – Birmingham 02 Institute
October 13th Manchester – O2 Apollo
October 14th Glasgow – Barrowland Ballroom
