What a beautifully huge feeling you get from this latest song “Social Assault” from artist Copey Cat. The opening instrumentation, soundscape and lyrics set a very vintage sort of scene, with even so much as that reliable and retro edge that is only usually found in a timeless live performance clip. Alongside of this though, really setting the song apart from a lot of older music, is the very modern sounding electronic synth riff, filling out all of those gaps that somewhat more organic music would often leave behind.

Copey Cat’s music hits hard, every time – the honesty is so explicit that it’s overwhelming at times, making artists who talk the talk about keeping it real but do nothing more about it seem significantly fake. There’s no sign of music being made by Copey Cat for the sake of making music; everything has a point to it, some sort of message, some sort of issue he’s been dealing with – using art and sound to express it, and to move forwards through it. This is what makes it so addictive and relatable. The way the music has been crafted has the effect of pulling you into the problem, you start recognising yourself within the words, empathizing, and feeling like you’re really not alone anymore. It’s powerful.

The production on this track is superb, successfully shining the spotlight on each and every moment as is necessary. The intro sounds big, grabs your attention, then the music steps aside slightly to make way for the vocals, and later on everything returns and fuses well to build up the finished soundscape. There’s a lot about the track that is fairly retro sounding, yet it’s all so well polished that the sound is undeniably now. It’s fresh, and the vocals are fantastic; the style and the skill is evident from start to finish, and the artist carries these melodies and lyrics confidently and stylishly.

The backdrop to the track is a beautifully ambient and dream-like piece of music; seductive synths and gentle vocal melodies, lightly doused in reverb, simply looping and looping as he passionately speaks her inner truth – with, as always, impeccable lyricism. It’s baffling that certain artists can make whatever the hell they want to, at any given time, and have it played on radio stations around the world, yet music like this always has to take the longer and grittier road to recognition. Baffling, but usually; it’s for the greater good.

That road is one that teaches people things the industry never could. As always, the real value is in the music; what’s being said, how it makes you feel, the people who know – they have that connection with the artist and her art, and you just can’t compare that to the mainstream manufacturing of sample after sample after sample.