Emerging out of the inspired year that was 2022 and into the excitement of 2023, there’s optimism abound in the new single “Second Chance” by Different Moon, and I’m not talking about its stunning lyrical content alone. Comprised of vocals that are soft and brooding but not at all indulgent, the focal point of this song is unquestionably the melody carrying forth its every poeticism, but the charm of Different Moon’s sound doesn’t stop there.
From every angle, these two talented young artists attack the hook with a fierceness that suggests they’re barely scratching the surface of possibility with a performance as grand as this one. Though this is no small statement for any critic to make given the depth of the songcraft here, “Second Chance” has all the hallmarks of a sample of what’s to come more than it is an identity single, and I think the former is quite preferable to the latter in this situation. This duo is almost a decade into their career and still developing a sound that is uniquely their own, but at the moment, they’re exhibiting a willingness to persist in their evolution that goes above and beyond what I’ve heard from their peers lately.
There’s no stopping the chills that the orchestral-quality string parts set up from the second they come into the fold, and while the lyrics are plenty expressive in their own right I think they get one heck of a boost from the canvas atop which their color resides. There’s a slight bucolic element to the harmony that feels decidedly simpler than it does derive from the conventional pop sound you hear on the radio a lot, and as much as I want to see this pair remain committed to the straightforward end of their adult contemporary/pop sound, this is nonetheless an element I’d love to hear them explore further.
The chemistry these two have is something you just can’t fake in this style of music especially, and to leave it unexploited in any capacity would be to waste a plethora of talent they’ve made a point of spotlighting here. This story is still forming before our very ears, and I don’t think any of Different Moon’s diehard listeners are going to disagree with me.
I just got back into Different Moon just recently, and after looking into their extended discography once more and falling in love with “Second Chance” this past week, it’s safe to say I’m hooked on their music. There’s still a lot of ground that these skilled players have to cover as performers and songwriters, but as long as they stay true to the humble, romanticized part of their sound more than they do the sleekness of the pop influences defining their frillier attributes, I don’t see why they won’t keep finding success in the years to come.
“Second Chance” is adult contemporary/pop with an elusive symphonic bend Different Moon presents a lot better than I would have originally expected them to, and if given the right venue I think they could showcase this component of their artistry with as much praise as they have anything else to date.
Garth Thomas
The music of Different Moon has been heard all over the world in partnership with the radio plugging services offered by Musik and Film Radio Promotions Division. Learn more https://musikandfilm.com