Blog Post
PETE BRILEY - COLOUR (CALIFORNIA) SINGLE REVIEW
Reviewed by Laura DQ • Aug 13, 2024
If you think Pete Briley looks a little familiar, it might be that you recognise him as one third of The Outlaw Orchestra where he’s known as ‘Banjo Pete’ and contributes to the band’s quirky, countrified take on rock and roll.
Pete’s solo work is somewhat different, though arguably just as uplifting. With one acclaimed album already under his belt, Briley is now working on his second. Our first taste comes in the form of ‘Colour (California)’; Set for release on Friday (16th August), the single is the perfect soundtrack to a summer day. Pleasingly bouncy, perhaps the result of an unusual, lilting time signature and a foot stomping beat, ‘Colour’ feels almost retro, like pop music when it was actually worth hearing.
Punctuated by jagged snatches of guitar that are more interesting than your average riff, there is much to love in the off-kilter groove that somehow works perfectly. Pete’s distinctive vocals are, at times, almost Beatles-esque, layered with harmonies that brighten a chorus much catchier than it first appears.
Apparently inspired by a trip to the titular US state where Briley remarked to his wife that he felt “more colour in California” with everything at home “shades of grey”, Briley has successfully translated that joyful feeling to sound. How refreshing to hear a singer-songwriter giving life to a happy memory, rather than lamenting a lost love.
