Establishing the mood with an intimate guitar soundscape, Neil Potter opens Over the Hills an emotive vocal timbre with theatrical nuance and breathy authenticity as he sings, “Over the hills and far away, it’s where I’m going, it’s where I’ll stay, and your won’t even know me, no more…”
The opus expands with intricacy as Neil showcases his skilful instrumental mastery, intertwined with a passionate delivery, and layered vocals for dynamism. It is clear that Neil is writing from a deep personal experience, and we connect whole heartedly with this notion.
Over the Hills would be perfect for a range of synch deals – a Hollywood coming of age movie, perhaps even a new Broadway theatre production. We appreciate the build of the track and the textured drums with astral guitar riffs.
Neil reminds us of early Elliott Smith in some moments, whilst also sharing poetic prowess that is unique to his own. There is no doubt that the star lives and breathes music. His vocal range is sublime from the roaring moments to the high falsetto. The switch up gives us a bit of Queen / Freddie Mercury energy too! There is truly never a dull moment and we are enthralled throughout the song.
We learn that Neil Potter picked up his first guitar at 14 and has toured in prog rock bands. This explain the exceptional performances, including the transcendental guitar outro. He built his skillset studying under top mentors, and founding his own music school, and has spent decades exploring every facet of the art.
His influences span from Dream Theater to Beethoven and Stevie Wonder, which we can feel manifest – shaping a style that’s both informed and fresh. Now, after years of honing his craft, he feels ready to release his long-awaited debut which will be an intimate, vibrant record born from passion, discipline, and life experience.
Over The Hills is the album’s lead track and naturally, we cannot wait to hear more from the record! In the meantime, we are immersing ourselves in his debut music video, and have added the opus to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TRIPPY and TIMELESS playlists!