A dance-pop anthem that goes immediately from speaker to heart, like a hot knife in butter, from a talented songwriter whose sound will bring back memories from the early 00s, while somehow totally evading feeling old-fashioned or familiar.
Separate Ways, a single from Robert O’Connor’s critically acclaimed 2022 EP Severance, which received a shower of praise, is a synth-pop break-up anthem. The Dublin-based singer/songwriter seems to have found a sound he’s incredibly comfortable with, laying down the tune with as much heart and passion as humanly possible, which shows through his facial expressions that we can see in the live performance, Robert is not only comfortable with the sound of his music, he’s visibly having an absolute blast, making the performance invigorating to watch.
Separate Ways is simplistic, which is exactly the trick. The hypnotic synth riffs, driving, pounding beats, repetitive melodies, and lyrics, all serve to make Separate Ways the perfect tune for the dance floor. With pristine production by Gareth Shortland who has worked with Erasure and Will Young, and dedicated vocal production by Ritchie McCourt, Separate Ways has absolutely no issues on the fronts of quality, sounding neat, tight, and very professional.
A driving blast from a songwriter who is talented in crafting hypnotic dance anthems, with catchy hooks, and clean sounds, Separate Ways has a ton of replay value and is a song that will feel appropriate for far more moods and situations than what might appear at first.