“Gumball” by Soaring Pop Sensation Luna Grey

“Gumball” is the new single from pop singer/songwriter Luna Grey and further elaborates on the promise she’s shown with preceding singles. I noticed Grey’s intense modern appeal on the first listen and each subsequent airing only solidified my feeling that she’s achieved something more than merely entertaining. It feels and sounds like such an outright invocation of her personality that “Gumball” immediately takes on a different character. This isn’t your standard fare. Luna Grey’s “Gumball” broaches individual territory without ever losing a modicum of the widespread appeal it has for many pop music fans.

The song’s sound engages listeners without ever coming across as too obvious. There’s an assortment of percussion and electronic instrumentation woven into the song’s fabric and you won’t hear a transparent moment during the track’s entirety. “Gumball” has a full and completely realized sound that connects with listeners from the outset despite the abundance of pre-programmed instrumental touches scattered throughout the piece.

Grey has an unique vocal sound. It has a slightly nasal edge but communicates playful insolence above all else. She isn’t a traditional singer, her background as an abstract artist already shows that but you can hear her comfort with this form and she inhabits each second of the piece with a definite personality. Her vocal delivery encourages listeners further to involve themselves with the song’s musical world and hooks us into the lyrical message.

It makes no pretense of being high-flown poetry. It is rife with the language of the street without ever being crass and the lyrical material counterpoints the free-flowing percussion. Grey has a steady platform for what comes across as vocal extemporizing though, it is a fair guess, that it is more written out than it seems hearing the song. There is a lot of space in the song, as well.

It allows the track an opportunity to never sound too cluttered and breathe. The strategically placed lulls in the arrangement contribute to the song’s overall feel. Percussion, as alluded to, has an enormous effect on the song’s overall comportment, but does so without ever overwhelming listeners. The vocal arrangement has lots of subtle shadings and proves, as well, to be one of the track’s key components.

“Gumball” never taxes listener’s patience. It’s an ideal length for pop songcraft and doesn’t end with the listeners feeling cheated in some way. Self-indulgence is scant, at best, and nothing sounds ornamental. Luna Grey succeeds in serving listeners a thoroughly modern pop confection that entertains while also saying something substantive about the performer behind the music.

This is no small feat. It is the latest in a string of impressive singles from Grey and she continues gathering momentum with each new release. The latest single joins its impressive predecessors and rates as her finest recorded moment yet, but there will be many more such triumphs, and even greater moments, to come. She is a marvelous all-around performer and is certain to gain a plethora of new fans on the back of this compelling new release. 

Nicole Killian