Introducing Asgard Raven: Britpop Revivalist Releases ‘For Us All’
Hailing from Andover, UK, Asgard Raven brings a refreshing blend of nostalgic Britpop vibes and heartfelt lyricism in his latest release, ‘For Us All.’ Asgard’s musical journey traces back to his military days in Cyprus, where he first picked up the guitar. Influenced by the likes of Oasis, his disdain for mainstream pop fuelled his passion for authentic music. The onset of the Covid pandemic provided the perfect opportunity for Asgard to reconnect with his guitar and delve into the depths of songwriting, exploring themes of life, love, and tragedy with unwavering sincerity.
Pressing play on ‘For Us All,’ I’m immediately reminded of the track ‘Sit Down’ by James – classic! I think it’s the bounce of the drums. When the vocals come in, there are definite twangs of those pesky Gallagher brothers. However, that isn’t to take away from the singing; it’s very good and suits this style of track perfectly. Asgard has a solid voice! The song has a Britpop vibe – never a bad thing and something I’m seeing more and more of these days at TIG. Is a revival on the cards? I hope so because essentially, Britpop is just quality songwriting dressed up with a label. And, I’m all for quality songwriting!
Anyway, I digress; there are some nice electric guitar licks between the vocals and acoustic patterns that give off a very Oasis vibe – double bends, etc. And, there’s a nice acoustic strumming away, a bass solidly plonking as it should be, and tight drums tying it all together.
The verses sail along nicely and the move into the chorus is smooth… but the melody in the chorus is stunning! Some really nice little hooks in there that I can imagine a crowd singing along to. There’s a definite ear for melody right here! The only slight niggle I have is that the chorus doesn’t come quite quick enough. It’s not a major problem because the chorus is worth waiting for, but, at 39 seconds it would have been perfectly placed – half way through the verse (or, second verse depending how you view it). However, we are kept waiting until about 1 minute 8 seconds to hear it. I know, it’s only another 30-odd seconds… but, out of a 4-minute track that’s about 12%. It might not sound much but if someone told you a 12% pay rise was on the cards how would you feel? Anyhoo, the chorus is fab and this is the merest of quibbles 🙂
Some little dynamic touches throughout verse 2 and back into the chorus maintain interest, and, a nice guitar solo leads us into the chorus to finish. For all intents and purposes, this is a solid mid-tempo rumble of jangly guitars and ’90s indie rock sensibilities… (Asgard’s words not mine)… and, it’s done brilliantly well (my words).
In its lyrics, the song sheds light on the common challenges, barriers, and feelings of loneliness that people often face as they navigate life, especially when they don’t conform to societal expectations. It underscores the reality that we may not always recognise when others are going through difficult times and emphasises the significance of being there to support those we care about. This optimism is at the heart of Asgard’s music in general, spreading positivity to listeners – and that really comes through in this track.
‘For Us All’ is a top outing, and I’ll be listening to this and other tracks a lot more by Asgard moving forward. It’s no wonder the song got its radio premiere with John Kennedy of Radio X and support from Amazing Radio as well as BBC Introducing Solent.
Nice work! 🙂
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