We are always happy to get new music from Golden Browne. We're even happier when we get to be the ones to help bring it to the masses. The group, who dropped their self-titled debut last year, showed us they know how to catch a vibe and enhance a groove on that project. Now they're showing us the magic they can make with some classic soul thanks to a cover of the Heatwave classic "The Star Of A Story," which the quartet is premiering exclusively with us just in time for Valentine's Day.
The song, known for its sumptuous bass groove and romantic lyrics, gets reimagined in Golden Browne's jazzier style here. The quartet keeps the melody the same for the most part. They have a bit of fun with the rest, though. The drum rhythm brings in a modern hip-hop feel to the song while a much quieter bass and subtle chords act as the foundation. This gives the rest of the instrumentation room to play, offering a few unexpected musical moments. Meanwhile, singer Jenna Camille gives it to us straight on the verses and chorus. Her ad-libs and backing vocals, however, offer a looser feel than the original's tightly layered harmonies. This allows them to take the song to different places, including folding in a breezy and delightful vocal solo mid-song.
"As we were preparing the release of our album last summer, we decided to take a crack at covering this Heatwave tune for kicks," group member Hayling Price told us about the cover. "We think Rod Temperton was one of the illest songwriter/producers to ever do it, and tackling this ambitious arrangement made us appreciate his genius even more. After charting out the chords, we bounced ideas around for months and gradually made the song our own. The result is a Valentine's Day offering we're sharing for the lovers out there."
Listen to this fresh take on "The Star Of A Story" from Golden Browne exclusively right here. Then make sure to support the crew by heading to their Bandcamp page and picking up your own copy of the track to add to that Valentine's Day playlist.
