Starting 2025 in superb form is Katy Hurt with her latest single "Seasons". This is a single that leaves Katy incredibly exposed, and she absolutely revels in carrying this song for just over four minutes with the most minimal of backing. There is an acoustic guitar and at different times other instruments may come and go but there is only one instrument really on show here and it is the voice of Katy Hurt, as it works it's way through the scales, wrapping itself delicately around each syllable of lyric.
It really is quite a display of talent, so much so that for the first five or so plays #TEAMw21 just sat back and let it work it's aural magic, just admiring it for what it is without even really listening to what the words might actually mean, it is truly that captivating.
Produced by Murray Pulver in Canada, with the most delicate of touches, "Seasons" is able to create the illusion of a bigger sound with some well placed little musical flourishes, while Joey Landreth's additional backing vocals subtly interweave with Katy's to great effect.
Things open to the acoustic guitar that will be the one constant along with Katy throughout the track, the warm bass notes intermittently just nudge things along further.
The written word in no way pays justice to the way that Katy's vocal delightfully extends the word "around" on the opening line. It is not done in an X Factor style exaggeration just pure proper singing.
"The thing about the seasons, they keep coming back around"
There's an aching pause before the next line, this song like a glass of fine wine is to be savoured and is not to be rushed
"The thing about the weather, try as you might, you just never know
The thing about me is I can't control what I'm feeling
And all of my highs just turn into lows
Some things change, but the rest remain the same
Round and around and around, just like the Seasons"
There is a sense of frustration of time passing by and yet nothing really changing - the cyclic nature of the changing seasons only acting as a reminder that another year has passed.
"You say that I'm too cold, so I start to grow and I learn to be warm, but I'm torn as I know it won't last
Then Spring turns into Summer, and I know that my days are numbered and it feels like a curse
Oh what could be worse?
I watch as the leaves begin to fade, and I recognize all those winds of change
The cool breeze blows, back to my old ways I go,
Round and around and around, just like the Seasons"
It seems that in this song even when Katy makes a change, it is with the knowledge that she will drift back into old ways.
"I'm used to this I just call it experience, it's not the first day, it won't be the last
and I find comfort in my indifference , take my heart and I'll take it back
But you'd think I'd learn, not to go
Round and around and around, just like the Seasons"
This is another song from Katy's fruitful partnership with Gab Zsapka, and it really sets the bar of their abilities really high for future expectations - nothing less will do,