Late Hala - “Wherever You Are”
UK-based Late Hala explores solitude and shared moments with the wistful pop rock gem “Wherever You Are.”
“Wherever You Are” is a track that wears its melodies and reflective atmosphere like a sun dappled jacket. It flirts with the mood driven colours of dream pop and the upbeat vibes of jangle pop. It is confident but unhurried, bittersweet yet beautifully breezy. It is a track that drifts in with a cool, easy sense of charm and lingers long after the final note.
The composition is brimming full of enjoyable jangly guitar motifs that only serve to make “Wherever You Are” an absolute ear worm. But it is the buoyant bass line that truly elevates this song into something special. It gracefully dances with playful momentum all around the dusty drum groove with tight bubbly flourishes. Further elevating the composition beyond pure sunlit pop are the numerous staccato key stabs that injects a pleasant vintage charm to the groove.
Almost conversational in tone, warmly melancholic, yet quietly assured. The vocal of Late Hala floats effortlessly through the music. It knits together the reflective layers of guitar, keys and percussion while acting as a subtle counterpoint to the shifting bass line. Supported by airy harmonies over the chorus, the performance is sublimely immersive.
On the track, Late Hala adds: “Written in a garden in Hertfordshire after I left London during the pandemic. The opening line - “come up and see me when the days feel strange” - came from something I kept hearing people say during that time. The song explores distance and connection, in part touching on mental health.”
The luminous “Wherever You Are” is the first track to be taken from the forthcoming album, Never Had A Good Dream, slated for release later this year. Connect with Late Hala here: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram