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Limahl ‘A Horse With No Name’ – A dusty classic, reborn with synths and swagger

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Limahl has always had a knack for memorable melodies, but with his latest release — a moody, beat-driven take on “A Horse With No Name” — he reveals a new side to his artistry. Swapping acoustic minimalism for layered electronica, this is the ‘70s classic reimagined through a retro-futurist lens.

It’s a gutsy move for a singer making his first-ever cover. But Limahl’s production choices pay off: there’s a cool restraint to the track, never overdoing the nostalgia or drowning it in effects. Instead, the mix breathes — synths pulse and glide, the beat nods to trip-hop, and his vocal performance is subtly hypnotic.

There’s also a cinematic feel here, as if the track could slide into a Stranger Things dream sequence or the closing credits of a slick indie film. It’s a bold pivot from his signature sound, and one that hints at more experimentation to come.

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Multitalented Musician Noé Socha Shines On Solo Debut View from Inside

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Choosing the songs for an album can reveal as much about a musician as the compositions they write themselves. With View from Inside, Noé Socha has assembled a tracklist that brings together several different strands of his musical interests, giving listeners a chance to explore both his songwriting and the material that has caught his attention over the years.

Of the album’s 14 tracks, eight are original compositions credited to Socha. They include “Kinship”, “Bike Ride”, “Drizzle”, “Cascata”, “Bossa Leonessa”, “Soulfire”, “Vacuum Cleaner” and “Instantanea 13”. The remaining six comprise five interpretations of established songs and “Il Volo”, written by Socha’s former guitar teacher Enrico Zanella.

The choice of covers is particularly interesting. Henry Mancini’s “Moon River”, The Beatles’ “Blackbird”, Chick Corea’s “Spain”, Ann Ronell’s “Willow Weep for Me” and John Mayer’s “Gravity” come from different musical backgrounds, giving Socha a varied collection of material to approach through his own guitar and harmonica playing. “Bossa Leonessa” hints at the Brazilian influences that form part of Socha’s musical vocabulary, while the wider collection draws from blues, jazz, folk, Celtic music and Americana.

What makes the album worth exploring is that it doesn’t present songwriting and interpretation as two separate interests. Both have a place on the same record, with Socha bringing his own creative instincts to material written by others while also making room for compositions that originate entirely from his imagination.

View from Inside is therefore more than a collection of songs chosen to showcase an instrumentalist. It’s a body of work that gives a useful insight into the music that interests Socha, the traditions he draws upon and the kind of material he wants to explore. Stream below via Now Listen PR:

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