Too much confidence can stop a singer/songwriter dead in their tracks, but when coupled with a humble attitude towards the music, it can result in some of the best material to ever hit record store shelves. What Cory Driscoll performs for us in his new single “Promised Land” doesn’t tell us anything new we wouldn’t have known about him from listening to his previously released content, but it definitely solidifies his reputation as a justifiably swaggering composer who can break off a hook with as much panache as he can write one. He’s the best of both worlds here, and he isn’t afraid to let us know that.
This hook is one of the more righteous I’ve listened to from a purely independent source in the past couple of months, and while feeling like an element of decadence in an otherwise black and white setting, it’s also not an example of over-exuberance on the part of Driscoll at all. Contrarily, I think this is the right speed for him to be moving at right now, considering that his past efforts have been comprised of much less daring compositional schemes than what we’re listening to in this piece.
The old school pop structure of “Promised Land” makes me think of The Beatles, but it doesn’t feel like a complete throwback to an era removed from our own. The bones are definitely retro, but the substance of the music here is as relevant as it is endearing, making it clear to us that Driscoll is a player who can separate his harmonies from those of his heroes without sounding like a fanboy. That’s harder than it might sound, and those who don’t believe me would be wise to take a peek at the FM dial, or really any channel of the American underground beat at the moment.
Cory Driscoll doesn’t just want to sing the lyrics to us in this single – he wants us to believe in his words, which is why he’s coming at the mic with the degree of moxie that he is. There’s scarcely a moment in which he doesn’t sound like he’s trying to dominate over the backing band with his voice, but his presence never becomes overwhelming because of the tightness with which he’s controlling the rhythm and hook in the song. It’s technical, but this is the right way to make a full-bodied pop single in 2022.
In the last few years, I’ve witnessed Cory Driscoll really come into his own as a singer/songwriter, and in this sense, “Promised Land” is what many who had faith in his talents early on expected to be hearing by now. He’s developed his voice significantly and made his compositional style not only unique but quite effective in the right circumstances, and judging from the artistic parameters he’s working within right now, I think this won’t be the last of his releases to score big with critics and fans hungry for smart pop music around the world.
Heather Savage
