Torpey is back with his latest single If I Could Paint the Sky. This is definitely one of those songs that grows on you. The first time I listened, I thought, “Okay, this is nice.” But by the second or third spin, I was totally pulled in. It’s dreamy but not in a slow drawn out way. It’s layered in a way that with every listen you’ll find something new in it.
As I mentioned above, it has a dreamy feel, in the sense that it’s like a daydream. It’s bright, melodic, and slightly melancholic in places. You can definitely hear the blend of influences he grew up with in this one. There’s also a definite feel of R.E.M. here, mixed with a bit of early Coldplay in the softness. I really liked how the lyrics are full of these big imaginative visuals but still have a level of deeper meaning to them (“If I could paint the sky, I wouldn’t paint it blue…I’d paint it red like the world was gonna end soon” was one of my favourite lines).
It’s also worth mentioning the backstory to this track, Torpey produced the track between his bedroom and The Stables studio in Tulla with his uncle Matt Purcell. That DIY feel kind of matches the song’s theme about chasing perfection, even if it’s messy. It took a few versions to get it right, and you can hear the thought that went into it. The instrumental break just before the 3-minute mark is such a great moment too, a little guitar solo that gives you time to reflect before it eases back into the final stretch. Torpey’s talent is on full show here and trust me, he has a lot of talent, he learned to play music at just 5 and progressed to playing his favourite songs by ear in his teens.
In my opinion, If I Could Paint the Sky is another strong track from his upcoming EP. It feels confident but still curious. It’s a song about reaching for something impossible and learning to be okay with the imperfections along the way. And that’s a feeling a lot of us can relate to.
His debut EP Why Won’t The World Stop Turning? drops July 2nd, and he’s playing Little Whelan’s on July 1st too, it’s definitely worth catching him, this EP is going to be great!
If I Could Paint the Sky comes in with a 8 out of 10
Reviewer – Alan Robinson @alan_robinson_photography