Iain Petrie - I'll Stay By You

[cookiegirl]

Iain Petrie combines chiming guitars and tight vocal harmonies to evoke memories of jangly ‘60s folk rock, ‘70s Southern California country rock, and ‘80s and ‘90s power pop. The best songs on I’ll Stay By You get close to the heart of the Scottish singer-songwriter through stripped-back acoustic sounds.

The album kicks off with the punchy “High On The Mountain.” It’s a power pop ballad of sorts with a great guitar hook over the chorus, evoking memories of Petrie’s Caledonian homeland. Several other songs have a similar perky groove. “Steal Away” is poppy and infectious, with a sing-along chorus, and a spiralling guitar solo at the end.

“I’ll Stay By You” and “The Awakening” paint a more melancholic landscape, although Petrie does let some sunshine into his world with the uplifting “Celebration” and “Through Your Eyes”, where guitars and vocals blend achingly to demonstrate Petrie’s mellow pop at its best.

“Connect To The Heart” has some nifty, jazzy chord changes. “It Comes and Goes” is another soaring track: a soulful, slow-burner, which evokes hazy images of seventies folk-pop from the American west coast.

A few songs feel like a little cliched and don’t quite measure up. Even on those tracks there are some nice moments, like the guitar intro on “My Best Shot”. But for the most part, I’ll Stay By You is full of catchy hooks, managing to sound familiar yet fresh.