Daily affirmation can come in many forms. For some it’s an inspiring song in the fashion of The Rascals’ “It’s A Beautiful Morning”, “Lovely Day” by Bill Withers, or “Wake Me Up” by Avicii. The 1972 Johnny Nash classic “I Can See Clearly Now” is also tops. Rockers The Side Deal have a new version of this happy inducing track.
The back story on The Side Deal is just as cool. Based in Newport Beach, Calif., and releasing on the Goldie Records label, Grammy-winning bassist and founding member of Train, Charlie Colin, began collaborating with Sugar Ray co-founder and drummer, Stan Frazier. Rounding out the quartet are PawnShop Kings duo and brothers, Joel and Scott Owen on guitars. Most of The Side Deal’s offerings have been cover songs. The talents of these guys comes through strong – especially in the arrangements. “I Can See Clearly Now” has this way of giving each musician their time in the sun.
TWITTER: twitter.com/thesidedeal
Starting out with a vibrant toned bass, a bit of a mesh between funk and jazz, Colin’s bass gives “I Can See Clearly Now” an extra push to get the song going. His audacity to start out with such thrust reminded me of the 70s sound, too. “I can see clearly now the rain is gone, I can see all obstacles in my way, gone are the dark clouds that had me blind, it’s going to be a bright, sun shiny day, it’s going to be a bright, bright sun shiny day,” is such a great pop song. The lyrics are catchy and the music bed that The Side Deal has created honors the original Nash tune, and takes it into 2020 with a fresh lens. The percussion is an explosion of color. The timing is faster tempo, with Frazier’s chops giving the overall sound a California sheen. His talent is so subtle, but it’s there.
The Side Deal – I Can See Clearly Now (Lyric Video)
As the world approaches a return to normalcy, the global population strives to balance the challenges that have impacted us all. This recording and the accom…
The guitar work in “I Can See Clearly Now” is unexpected. The reverb, more than expected, nudges the listener into a rockin’ atmosphere. The guitar gives a sonic representation of a sunrise. It’s pretty cool. The Owens’ bring a touch of the folk rock, too, and the resulting music layer is bright, and at times almost shimmering with ocean vibes. The country flavorings give the song an interesting way of movement. As a listener, I felt like this was modern, but very much poised in the Americana timeless genre. Besides the loving lyrics, the guitar work grips the listener into an almost organic blessing.
APPLE MUSIC: music.apple.com/us/album/i-can-see-clearly-now-single/1506660870
The Side Deal created a lyric video to “I Can See Clearly Now” and it’s just as special. The band dedicated the video to front line workers and medical professionals. It features a plethora of feel-goodery. Animals, babies, people singing together – a united front of images and video sharing a common goal of getting through something as one. Not just getting past the dark clouds, but achieving the journey to get to the rainbow. The song (and the music video) never ceases to give hope.
Clay Burton