Louis Burke’s second single is a folk-inspired tune with a country-centered sound. Featuring some outstanding vocals, touching instrumental warmth, a stirring composition and arrangement, ‘Benevolent not Malevolent’ is a showstopper.
A British singer and songwriter, Louis Burke is based in Hamilton. Her sound on her latest single, titled ‘Benevolent not Malevolent’, is a wonderful blend of expressive voice with terrific control, some surreal strings, a bittersweet chord structure, and a wonderful arrangement that fuses acrobatic, finger-picked acoustic arpeggios, with shimmering and warm piano trills.
A song about the attempts to save a faltering relationship in the middle of a global lockdown, ‘Benevolent not Malevolent’ is intentionally stirring. Louis Burke’s vocals are channeling the folkish essence of Karen Dalton’s expressive, and elastic delivery, taking liberty with the twisting melodies. Opting to display the power of the words through the expressive value of every soft-spoken syllable, instead of through hearty belts, the vocals on the single are extremely soft and touching.
With a production job that maximizes the impact of each of the song’s elements, the song ends us sounding lush and soft, with a buoyant bass in the bottom, supporting the acrobatic piano and guitar, which are in turn wrapped in the satin smoothness of the mature strings. A wonderful listen from an immediately grabbing voice. Lou is absolutely stunning on her second single.