Single Review: Gary Barlow – ‘Since I Saw You Last’
2 min read
Gary has been around for years. From being a cheeky teenager in Take That, splitting up, trying a solo career, failing a solo career, reforming Take That, hitting the dizzying heights again, judging a talent show, and now he’s back on the solo album…wow.
And it’s with his latest single, Since I Saw You Last, we see Gazza reflecting on the rollercoaster ride of his life and feeling content about where he is now. The track kicks in with melancholy guitar chords over a catchy verse which gently strums in and out to a nice effect. The singer waxes lyrical about hoping he’ll wake up in a better place, and tries to tug on the heart-strings with lines like “I know you heard my cry for help, I know you heard I was going through hell”. This however almost feels a little too dramatic for what he’s been through. Fair enough he’s had his troubles, but he’s also been living the dream of many of us by being in a huge band with many adoring fans and earning millions in the process.
But we can’t blame him; all singers are notorious for wearing their heart on their sleeve and that’s exactly what Gary is trying to do. He’s more accepting by the end of the song, knowing that by the revival of his career he “took back what was stolen” and has also made amends for the troubles with fellow band mate Robbie Williams – all is well on planet Gary.
The song is effortlessly catchy, as is most Barlow songs, but it does seem to be missing that certain spark. He sounds a little lonely here without his Take That boys to back him up, but this solo effort is as much about showing to himself he can still hack it alone, as it is about pleasing the listener. In the end it’s a good try but doesn’t quite hit the same mark as what we all know Gary can achieve, being one of the U.Ks most gifted songwriters means he has a lot to live up to.
