Seasonal change can add an unforeseen weight to the most familiar of surroundings and that’s precisely what Daniel Eagle & The Uncommon do with “Next Time It Rains”. It opens as a very melancholy lament and it’s that very melancholy which gives it such a strong autumnal feel. Rather than just use the season as a setting, the song is very much about the season and it’s that melancholy which drives the piece.
Traditional rock instrumentation forms the basis of the track, with a resonant piano and muted trumpet adding a further layer of interest and depth to the arrangement. There’s a real contrast in the mix between the rock and the more atmospheric. Eagle’s voice is very much in the soul tradition and has a very gritty quality to it which really does give the song’s subject matter a certain amount of heft. There are also clear ambient pop elements in the mix which further contribute to the song’s alternative rock ballad feel.
As the piece builds up to the final chorus there’s a real turning point. It starts off with a very restrained sense of sadness and that really develops into something much more powerful with the intensity of the build-up giving the final chorus a far greater emotional impact. The piano and the muted trumpet are so important to the song’s character, they’re absolutely essential in giving it that particular feel without in any way detracting from the rock foundation. It’s the progression that makes the song so compelling rather than just having that melancholic opening mood carried through.
“Next Time It Rains” is a very atmospheric track, a very subtle piece of music which nevertheless has a real emotional punch. It’s a very soulful piece with a great deal of piano and a bit of muted trumpet, building in a very gradual way. If you’re a fan of the introspective songwriting of Damien Rice or the alternative rock of Nothing But Thieves then you’ll probably quite like it. Daniel Eagle & The Uncommon have produced a very thoughtful autumnal record which is very much in its own league through the contrast of restraint and intensity.
