Admired in the synth-pop world for his accomplished production and pop sensibilities, the track is an evolving, triumphant soundscape that marks his new musical beginning. Built up from the pulsing piano and warm vocals, its stripped-back beginning swells underneath profound lyrics that profess a journey towards hope and acceptance.
“Church” sounds exactly like the word itself, softly combining gospel-like harmonies with distant, crashing drums and powerful melodies that erupt into a staggering, mystical synth-led finale. By the end, the hit is sonically mimicking heaven and providing a taster of “Welcome To The House Of I Don’t Know” in its entirety. As described by Dunlop, the song was completed in the final stages of the writing process - “Each verse and chorus introduces new elements that appear throughout the record and gradually builds into an explosion using every instrument & voice that makes a sound throughout the album”.
If this is anything to go by, acclaim for Dunlop’s symbolic attention to detail and self-empowering lyrics is written in the stars. With a devoted amount of 900,000 monthly listeners on Spotify under his belt, his cinematic style has already solidified a following set to devour his third offering. “I put my faith in the man I want to be” suggests he is leaving earlier themes of doubt and uncertainty behind, professing to the listener that like all of us, he is an evolving work in progress.
Dunlop is playing live at the O2 Institute Birmingham on March 12th, supporting Damien Dempsey.
Listen to “Church” below:
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