LISTEN UP - Michael Franti & The Spearhead - Nobody Right, Nobody Wrong
Tuesday, 27 April 2010
Written by Ginny Bullmore
Michael Franti & the Spearhead get it absolutely right with ‘Nobody Right, Nobody Wrong’.
OK so I’ll admit, this song probably isn’t quite as good as I’m giving it credit for. But I’ll defy anyone to listen to it when the sun’s shining and not feel like the world’s just got an insy winsy bit better. If you’re a sucker for anything remotely gospel-tinged, this song is a must for summer down-town cruises in your BMW soft top (ahem Renault Clio.)
Michael Franti’s warm, rich, hopeful vocals are like gold-dust nowadays – there are thousands of gifted singers out there, but all we get to hear on mainstream radio are auto-tuned robots which may very well work wonders in the clubs, but don’t exactly stir the soul. Franti sounds like a kind of John Hiatt/John Mayer/Lighthouse Family hybrid, though that really doesn’t do him justice; he’s the type of singer who defies comparisons.
He’s a Bob Marley for the ‘noughties’ and beyond, singing about global issues in a way which makes them seem surmountable rather than overwhelming. The gentle guitar intro suggests a laid-back summer tune, keeping its rousing choruses a hidden gem for later on. And when they kick in… boy, was it worth the wait. The tried and tested key change method, rather than seeming like a Westlife-esque attempt to bring some excitement to another drab ballad, works wonders here – just when the song can’t get any better, it does.
It’s simple, it’s beautiful, and it’s one of the few songs that manages to compile the ideas of poverty and conflict with a fantastic feel-good melody.
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