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Phil Stoodley - Single Review: Long Way from Home

26 Sep 2019 // A review by Andrew Smit

New Zealand singer-songwriter Phil Stoodley is a travelling Kiwi musician of some note and he has created a most beautiful song and video clip for his new single Long Way From Home, which shows off his singing and song writing skill spectacularly.

The track sounds so good, the recording is impressively immaculate yet still warm and full of character. There is superb rhythmic guitar strumming with great accents on the beat that is so pleasant and uplifting. But the main wonderful attribute of the song is Mr Stoodley’s beautifully audible and articulate singing voice, the lyrics are sweet and crisp, a melodic tunefulness that is reminiscent of Dave Dobbyn, while the charming harmonic chorus is uplifted perfectly by vibrant harmonies.

Clearly influenced by his travels and time spent away from home, the themes are tender yet purposeful that express alienation and discovery while finding a home within yourself. The video Directed by Anatole Papafilippou and Phil Stoodley was shot over 3 days in Tokyo and shows Phil amongst the sake bars, alleyways and the cherry blossoms of Japan, and it looks stunning. The feel and look of the clip goes so well with the music, it captures the experience of a foreigner in a foreign place so well, you can’t help but like it. I must say the song and clip are such professional pieces of work that they should be very proud of what they have produced. A definite 5 out of 5 Stars.

The song and video Long Way from Home (Tokyo Japan) will be released 27 September 2019.

Rating: ( 5 / 5 )
 

About Phil Stoodley

Phil Stoodley has seen his fair share of traveling; whether from stage to stage with a guitar in hand or just jumping borders with a map and a whim, a desire to fill pages with fresh creativity has driven him for the better part of his life.

Phil’s early path as a musician was forged touring across New Zealand both on stage in various bands and off stage working in music production. The early 2000's saw him touring the UK, Europe, the US, and Asia as a session player for one of New Zealand’s best-loved and multi-platinum selling bands The Feelers, which led to a number of successful musical ventures including Phil’s own rock band Stoods and the opening slot for international bands including Velvet Revolver, Simple Minds, and Neil Finn.

Over the years, Phil’s recognition grew with his debut single Waiting For Thursday, a self-produced album No Surprise and his work as co-writer and producer for Hanna Grace's debut album Concrete & Roses and single In The Rain, along with compositions for TV, film, and commercials. 2012 saw the EP release of the electronic project Shaker Zulu - Funking Bell, a collaboration project with New Zealand's piano/ keys extraordinaire Andy Keys.

Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Phil Stoodley

Releases

No Surprise
Year: 2013
Type: Album

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