An expansive sound that’s incredibly unique and heartwarming, Christopher Parris’s music is unlike anything I’ve heard for a really long time. Indie folk with flairs of country and americana, the jangly and dynamic atmospheres of ‘Golden Sunrise of The Summerlands’ are exuberant and immersive.
An English artist based in Tunbridge Wells, Christopher Parris is an acoustic guitar master with a truly unique vocal and lyrical gift. ‘Golden Sunrise of The Summerlands’ is a single that was released on Parris’s debut album ‘Living Through The Twilight of The Kali Yuga’, and with titles like those, it is easy to surmise Parris’s affinity towards folk music, an affinity that’s lovingly showcased on the music and words of the single.
The music is built -naturally- on an acoustic guitar performance that’s dynamic and flowing, aided by gorgeous African percussion that adds an element of undeniable lightness to the song’s breezy groove. Parris’s high pitched and nasal vocals are addictive, and the backing from the talented singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Jennifer Lee Ridley is a perfect fit for Parris’s distinctive voice. The impact of Paul Rippengal’s colorful and sweet electric and slide guitar lines is infinitely precious, and the melodic and bouncy bass line by Michael Hurst is just sublime. The percussion section played by Robin O’Keeffe and Ben Killick is instrumental to the song’s airy and breathy flow.
The involved and intricate song was captured live in studio, a true testament to the astonishing caliber of skill the group, spearheaded by Parris, is operating on. And the production by film scorer and producer Billy Jupp at his studio is another testament to the gorgeous musical synergy between the artists and the producer. ‘Golden Sunrise of The Summerlands’ is a fascinating and brilliant piece of folk music.