[REVIEW] Simon Bernardo - Felony

Felony artwork. {Image: @simonpeterbattadbernardo)

Scatting is the forefather of mumble rap. 

There, I said it. 

You don’t hear much of the stuff these days (the scatting I mean - we have too many mumble rappers) but every now and again, an artist comes forward with their own brand of the age-old vocal heebie jeebies.

Enter Simon Bernardo (@simonpeterbattadbernardo) with his brand new debut single Felony - a tour de force of all things organic and syncopated. Over the three-and-a-half-minute runtime, the vocalist lays down a most compelling performance. 

Opting to hover over the instruments patiently rather than force them into the background, Bernardo’s voice shares the spotlight with a jumpy keys section and tight percussion.

When asked about the production of Felony, he maintains its simplicity.

‘I didn’t have a preconceived theme or idea going in. I started with a two chord vamp, which then evolved into the consequential chord progressions in the various sections of the track.’

Bernardo and his band. {Image: @simonpeterbattadbernardo)

There are clear touches of jazz, soul and R&B in the DNA of the single. Fellow Aussie wonderkid Jordan Rakei is cited as a significant influence as well. Interestingly enough, the lyrical inspiration was the music itself.

‘I played around with different melodic ideas and words that resonated with me while I was immersed in the atmosphere created by the chords… I then fleshed out those words into sentences and derived an overarching theme from there.’

Perhaps this is what makes Felony so cohesive. With the foundation of the track being this very feeling, Bernardo was able to let the music guide itself into completion. 

I’m yet to find Western Sydney’s budding jazz subculture, but artists like Bernardo give me hope. There is a dearth of tightly produced music from this genre within local circles, which only gives more freedom for such artists to experiment. Felony should motivate other artists to put down their bum bags and dust off their fedoras - there is as much space for this brand of expression as any other.

So what’s next for the local crooner? An EP in August, preceded by another single in early July. More EP’s and tracks in the years to come. Bigger projects on the horizon.

Bernardo has his work cut out for him. 

Stream the single here on Spotify and YouTube.