“Driven by an absolutely infectious banjo hook and a real gritty Americana feel, ‘Last Life’ is a song about connection, about devotion and the feeling that some of these relationships actually transcend a single life.”
Kev Adkins is out under his own name with “Last Life”, a debut solo single that’s a blend of earthy Americana, indie alt-folk and a bit of darker country. It’s all built around a very solid, driving banjo riff. The banjo is absolutely the engine of the song, the stomping is very much the character of the track, the bass is providing a solid pulse and the raw slide guitar adds a lot of grit. There’s a real sense of energy in the song, but it’s also quite melodic and the chorus in particular is very catchy. What’s interesting about ‘Last Life’ is the contrast between the very alive instrumental and the rather more contemplative subject matter. It’s all about the idea of two people recognising each other across lifetimes. Adkins kicks it off with that, with a very tangible little picture of two people in a moment. The image of the sunbeams skipping across the cobbles and someone swaying when they’re all alone is a very personal starting point before the central theme of the song really comes into play.
The chorus takes that feeling in a rather more mystical direction. When Adkins sings “I remember you from a past life” it’s not just about a single meeting or moment. It’s about a connection that somehow feels familiar. The very notion of recognising someone from a previous life gives the song its emotional core, combining romance with memory and a dash of the folkloric. It’s a potent concept as it allows the listener to take the relationship in whatever direction they see fit (fate, spiritual recognition, just the feeling of having met someone before etc). Adkins delivers the song with a very raw, raspy vocal and that really works with the song’s very earthy arrangement. You get a real sense of commitment in his delivery, especially as it builds into the big chorus. The production is very much keeping the song moving. The banjo is the hook, the bass is keeping it all going and the slide guitar adds a bit of a grit to the arrangement so it doesn’t become too slick. There’s a real meeting point between the folk-punk urgency and the wider melodic scope so it’s a very grounded song that also has a sense of expansiveness.
The recording also benefits from the input of Adkins’ long-term Franklin Gotham collaborators Jarrett Nicolay and Brittany Valint who helped to craft the very layered acoustic instrumentation. UK producer Adam James (known for his work with James Morrison and his own project In Waves) mixed and gave the track its punchy modern finish. The hand crafted claymation and stop motion visuals add to the song’s slightly surreal feel and really do work in conjunction with the themes of past lives and the connections we have with others. Although ‘Last Life’ is Adkins’ first release as a solo artist it’s from someone with well over 20 years’ experience as a songwriter and performer. He was previously the front man of Celtic rock outfit Icewagon Flu before co-founding the Virginia indie pop band Franklin Gotham with Nicolay in 2013 (they released nine EPs together). “Last Life” is a very energetic, melodic and emotionally grounded piece. The rolling banjo, the gritty guitar and the chorus are all very effective and the song is very catchy. The lyrics are in a way open to interpretation which is good as it gives you something to latch onto. It’s a very good piece as an introduction to his solo sound, has a great hook and a very romantic feel to it.
English