Track of the Day #457: Leon of Athens - Global (Mimosa's Dream)

Track of the Day #457: Leon of Athens – Global (Mimosa’s Dream)

leon

There’s only one thing better than an instantly feelgood, impossibly catchy summer pop tune and that’s what we have here – an instantly feelgood, impossibly catchy summer tune with hidden depths.

With its uplifting and euphoric chorus, its cheery refrain of “take me home” creeping very quickly under your metaphorical skin, ‘Global’ definitely has the wide reaching potential that its name suggests. If there’s any justice in the world, come May or June you’ll be hearing it blasting breezily from every other car stereo and open window in the country. The verses skim along effortlessly under a light but deft guitar jangle, Leon sounding half like Ian Brown in street swagger mode, half like the high end vocal acrobatics of Yes frontman Jon Anderson. Life affirming brass adds the cherry to the cake, and it all slowly but surely edges its way towards that killer chorus, bringing to mind the smile-inducing good vibes of Foster the People or MGMT at their most exultant.

But at the same time there’s another, more subtle dimension to this track. Leon is already a household name in his native Greece, where he plays to audiences of 10,000 plus, and he clearly shares something in common with the philosophical forefathers that ruled his mother country in ancient times, as the central character in ‘Global’ turns out to be a man who has stalked the planet for scores of generations, never finding his resting place.  Which, let’s face it, isn’t the kind of subject matter you usually get with your daytime Radio 1 pop portion.

Similarly, while the music slips down as easily as a cold pint on a hot afternoon, there are plenty of quirks and unexpected twists and turns along the way, indiciating that it’s anything but written to formula. This is clever pop, but definitely not clever clever, meaning when it does gain the mainstream exposure it deserves, it’s multi-faceted enough not to breed contempt with its familiarity.

God is in the TV is an online music and culture fanzine founded in Cardiff by the editor Bill Cummings in 2003. GIITTV Bill has developed the site with the aid of a team of sub-editors and writers from across Britain, covering a wide range of music from unsigned and independent artists to major releases.