Music Existence Because of Music, We Exist
Christian Parker isn’t just showing off his capabilities as a guitarist in this track; truth be told, this is some of the strongest vocal work anyone in his scene has turned in when it comes to Beatles tribute tracks. He’s demonstrated a rather reserved attitude with his verses before now, but that reticence is missing from this composition – in its place, we discover nothing but a willingness to be heard, and a desire to get this narrative across with a serenade as potent as any of the actual words are. Parker is forward and undaunted by the task set before him in “Forever Man,” essentially confirming his status as being among the more elite singer/songwriters in his peer group today.
Concerning the arrangement of the instrumentation in this track, there’s no need to debate whether or not the musicality in “Forever Man” endears itself more to a conservative school of thought than it does the contemporary alternative aesthetic, but I wouldn’t say that the song qualifies as a straight throwback to the end period of the Beatles’ storied history. Parker is giving us a lot of guts where it counts here and simplicity in the compositional framework where it matters the most, and despite the difficulties that come with striking this kind of a balance, he never sounds even slightly unprepared or overwhelmed by the ambitious nature of the music in this single. He’s come a long way since I first came to know his music, and longtime fans will especially appreciate his development.
I only just recently started exploring Christian Parker’s deeper catalog of releases again, but “Forever Man” is unquestionably one of his best Beatles-style songs to hit record stores in the time he’s been back in the spotlight. It’s been said that we’re living in a new renaissance for singer/songwriters, and to some degree, the re-emergence of iconic indie players like this one only makes this theory harder for anyone to dispute. Even if you’ve never heard his music before, I encourage you to get out and acquire a copy of “Forever Man” sooner than later. Beatles and Britpop enthusiasts won’t regret it, and the same can probably be said for anybody who loves a solid, organic melody in general.
Alisa Garza
