In “Summer Deluxe,” the listener directly immerges into Gale’s sun-kissed vision from the opening track of the album to finish.
Mike Gale is possibly the most mysterious artist in Britain. A reclusive artist, a talented songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer, Gale has released his fifth solo album in May, after a hiatus of two years from his previous work Beachhead Galaxy.
A former member of Co-Pilgrim and Black Nielsen, Mike is now an established solo artist, who works with enviable independence at every single phase of his creative process. By being able to write, perform, mix, and produce his tracks, Mike Gale can deliver his creative idea without compromising.
Season Creep is the first instrumental of the collection and it represents Spring. A childish mellotron playing over a pouring rain brings the listener back in time, with a musical atmosphere that could belong to any decade of the past century.
The journey from Spring through Autumn proceeds with Rareeraa, a feel-good, lo-fi summer anthem. George Harrison fans will love the second track of the album, with its creative mix of acoustic instruments and enriching synths and strings.
The encounter between acoustic instruments and electronic elements is a constant presence in the album and it gives a fresh mood to each song.
You Know How I’m Feeling Now is designed to make you feel great, no matter what! Its subtle rock’n’roll swing, mixed to an energetic Eighties’ synth make this song a perfect track for summer road trips.
It all gets a bit more personal and emotional with Nick Drake-inspired ballad The Waves Are High, but we are soon back to brightness and freshness with acoustic pop ballad You Have A Way.
At this point, halfway through the album, we meet the second instrumental of the collection (and title-track), Summer Deluxe, representing summer in full swing. Its sunny and positive atmosphere lingers through Jump Start My Heart and Shoot Shoot The Needle, both quite danceable and enjoyable at a party or in a bedroom.
The good vibes leave space to a romantic, dreamy tune, quite perfect for a prom: Carried In The Bliss Of All.
With Every Cloud Has A Cloudy Lining we get to the true inspiration of the whole album: the Beach Boys. The nice harmonies at the beginning of the song, the brisk acoustic guitar showing up later on, when the rhythm picks up and makes you want to dance, are all elements that inspire some “California Dreamin'” to the listener.
This is also the last, in some ways melancholic, touch of summer that leaves room to the laid-back, closing instrumental of the album, Time And Again, representing the arrival of Autumn.
With Summer Deluxe, Mike Gale has demonstrated it is possible to be a one-stop artist, able to work on one’s own sound without compromising on creative ideas and the atmosphere meant to be delivered.
Summer Deluxe was written, performed, produced and mixed by Mike Gale, and refined for release by the mastering wizardry of Tony Poole.
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