Western Australian singer-songwriter Paige Valentine has just released “Retrograde”, the final single from her upcoming debut album Lucky Blue. The track lives up to its name with a nostalgic vibe throughout.
Valentine got the inspiration for “Retrograde” from a striking event that happened in her community, while the chorus came to her in a dream. She elaborates on the events leading up to it further:
“It’s a tiny town with a population of about 40 people (including the surrounding farms). There are no police, no shops, there is only a small road house. The story was that there was a guy and a girl on the run from the police after the guy ‘saved’ from her boyfriend, big punch-ups, the works. Full wild west style. They were on the run apparently hiding out at farms, stealing fuel and camouflaging their cars….It’s a place of runaway bandits, living for the moment and embracing the wild and intoxicating spirit of youth.”
The song starts off with sunny, nostalgic guitars before Valentine’s soft vocals come in. Her voice has a wistful aura about it, as if it’s coming out of an old radio, as she sets the scene. A low, mysterious bass drives the verse forward as her singing picks up the pace, alluding to tension on the run.
A short instrumental break evokes the feeling of freedom before the chorus kicks in. Valentine’s relaxed, angelic vocals are dripping with serenity as she describes enjoying being young and “never doing what we should”. A drum-heavy instrumental break takes us into the next verse, bolder than the first. Valentine describes in more detail the scene of the runaway bandits and the thrill of being an outlaw.
After the following chorus, we head into the instrumental bridge. We’re driven along by the drums while Valentine’s vocals are melded into the background, almost unintelligible. The music builds up just to fade away again as Valentine starts the next chorus. Stripped down to just the hum of the guitar, her voice shines against the background vocals. The music picks back up as the lyrics of the chorus are changed to “this must be living”, driving home the intoxicating feeling of being wild and free. A catchy instrumental carries us to the end of track before fading out.
“Retrograde” will make listeners feel like they’re listening to a fairytale with its nostalgic, youthful nature. Valentine’s vivid first-person description of the runaway bandits allows listeners to tap into the characters and feel the rush of being on the run for themselves.
If you like “Retrograde”, be sure to check out Lucky Blue, due out April 12 via Nettwerk. Lucky Blue also features the uplifting “Cloud Dancing” and the summery “Navigate”, among many other songs you won’t want to miss.
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