Tommy Ashby - “Comeback Kid” (ft. Lydia Clowes)
Scottish songwriter Tommy Ashby has done it again… And today, for your listening pleasure, we are delighted to feature his latest acoustically-driven cut, a reconceptualization of “Comeback Kid,” which was recorded using a binaural head microphone. In this reimagined version of the song, Ashby is joined by the angelic vocal stylings of Lydia Clowes.
This marks the eighth occasion that Ashby has appeared on our blog, and if you’ve already heard any of his previous releases, such as “Moonflowers” or “When Love Goes Dark,” you already know why we can never say no to his music. With “Comeback Kid (Binaural Acoustic Version),” listeners are greeted by the soft chord of a piano, immediately followed by the stunning vocal harmonization of Ashby and Clowes. And if you’ve ever read a single page that we’ve written, you’ll know that we simply cannot resist a male and female duet of this emotional magnitude.
Of course, it would not be a Tommy Ashby song without an acoustic guitar and you can rest assured knowing that one appears at the start of the second verse. Glorious notes are plucked as a distant kick drum’s pulse carries the sparse arrangement along its ethereal path. Although there are not many ingredients to “Comeback Kid (Binaural Acoustic Version),” we can attest to it being a complete and total sonic wonderland, complete with divine moments of ambient ear candy. As the song enters its crescendo, it becomes quite clear that the stars of this show are the vocal performances of Ashby and Clowes– perfectly complimentary of each other in their consistent harmonies. And while this is not the first collaboration between the two, we certainly hope this isn’t the last time we hear their voices together.
About the track, Ashby writes: “‘Comeback Kid’ features the beautiful vocals of Lydia Clowes, one of my favourite singers. I knew that a duet using binaural techniques would be fun to record and would give the listener a unique experience. It’s so interesting to hear the two singers move around one another, taking different positions within the stereo field - it gives another dimension to the music, submerging the listener in the song. This acoustic version of ‘Comeback Kid’ has a second verse that wasn’t included in the Lamplighter album version. I just wanted to give the song more space to breathe, let it have more of the spotlight when taken away from the album context. The song describes how the support of another person can help you see the world differently."
If you find yourselves drawn to the music of Novo Amor, S. Carey, or the earlier work from Bon Iver, do yourself a favor and take a deep dive into the sounds of Tommy Ashby:
-HD