Meet The Screaming Pope– aka George Bolton, the versatile Boston-based musician, songwriter, and seasoned music video engineer. With roots in Rhode Island, Chicago, Boston, and New York’s music scenes, Bolton is a veteran since the early 80s; we’ve had The Screaming Pope in the studio before– on his last project, “Our Love is Music”. On his latest project, “Neon Heights”, he takes a bit of a different route to his songwriting and production; keep reading for my thoughts!
The opener to “Neon Heights”, “Movie Star”, is an extravaganza of low, rumbling basses, coupled with anthem chorus-like refrains that finds its roots in a proper synth-pop musical style. The production here is bold and unforgiving; and the choices of percussion here immediately get you grooving and jiving to the music. As we settle into the chorus, we’re introduced to the bright pianos and pads that contribute a warm embrace of sound to envelop the listener.
Checkout the latest news: Watch: Jung Kook of BTS Sets the Stage Ablaze with Epic Performance and Global Solo Debut
This is soon followed by “Pedal To The Floor”, a much more RnB and Soul-heavy production with some jazzy elements sprinkled into the mix– especially evident in the fingered bass, as well as the actual play style. There is Bolton’s signature singable hooks, as well as the instrumentation to back that up solidly; and the singing is quite a force to be reckoned with; the vocals are really sweet in this one. The choice of top percussion is also quite interesting, and the end result is quite unique a listening experience that sets the tone of the album quite excellently.
On “Neon Heights”, we’re also introduced to the likes of “Tunnelling”, a proper dancefloor number with the deep, rumbly kicks, and steady rhythm; playing support roles are potent, coarse-grained synths that set the low-end quite solidly. For the 1:40 that is this track’s runtime, it sure created some groove and successfully highlighted the production prowess behind the album. Next on my list of special mentions from this album is “Devotion”, a downtempo, almost future bass-like number that hits hard, and hits deep. There is a lot of energy in this production, and the vocal verses yield a quality of tasteful urgency to the song. The synth work is great, sublime, almost!
You may also like listening to: Proklaim – Options | The Reggae Trap
The production goes where the wind blows, with a wide variety of styles explored, ranging from RnB, Soul, all the way to proper dancehall. There is a lot of happening in the mix, with great articulation in the energy on “Neon Heights”; and I was left a fan. Onwards, for The Screaming Pope– what has he for us next?
Check out the album here!
Check out our Spotify playlists.
Check out their Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheScreamingPope
Check out our YouTube channel for music reviews, playlists, podcasts, and more!
Promotional Disclaimer: The content in this post has been sponsored by the artist, label, or PR representative to help promote their work.
