Levek - “Look on the Bright Side”
I would hope that I could say this about every piece in my Top Tunes feature, but this is a song that feels rare. Stylistically, its golden soul affectation is something you wouldn’t necessarily expect from a home-recording indie singer-songwriter, but it’s not so strange that it seems like a knowing wink, a pastiche of cool-via-uncool-coolness (if that makes any sense). Instead, it showcases a fine craftsmanship and natural ease far beyond its humble budget. The rhythm section is smooth and slinky, the guitars are funky and fresh, and the touches of violin and mellotron are gorgeously understated. As different instruments trade off accenting David Levesque’s raspy melodic turns, it’s easy to miss the fact that the song never really repeats itself. “Look on the Bright Side” is everything good soul music can be: fun, earthy, sensuous, poignant, and ultimately life-affirming.
