I was a huge fan of Sapienn's (aka Scott Simpson) 2017 debut album, A Black Sarcasm, to the point that I've broken with tradition and agreed to review his latest single (we very rarely review singles because we just don't have the hours in the day to keep up with the album's we get sent into the office). Anyone who has heard A Black Sarcasm will instantly realise that Sapienn is a perfectionist. Every facet of that album was carefully crafted to ensure that it flowed well, dragging the listener into his world. The same attention to detail has been carefully added to the latest release.

Sapienn's new single, 'This Time' pretty much pushes his vocals to their limits, and then some (he is only human after all). It's a brave thing to attempt and, in this instance, it pays off quite nicely. The vulnerability in his vocals beautifully dovetail into the tender lyrics and melody of the track. It's rich and tender and it just seems to get better the more times you play it.

Even the B side, 'Giving up the Ghost' is incredibly well polished. Most accomplished acts would have pushed this out as a single in its own right. It's more laid back with piano accompaniment and what at first I thought was a female backing vocal - but I'm suspecting it may have been Sapienn pushing his vocal limit to the max.

Personally, I'm hoping the release of this new single means that he's gathering up fresh material for another album.

10

Darren Rea