Tasmanian artist Fraser Rathmell has embraced the darker tonalities of R&B with his newest tune Hard Out Here.
Recorded in the bedroom of his Tasmanian home, the track oozes delightfully dark energy, featuring soothing guitar samples over bouncy electronic elements.
Self-produced R&B artist Fraser Rathmell hits at the modern pressure to succeed on Hard Out Here, his musing on making a life for yourself as a wayward 20-something.
Soothing the listener in with a finger picked guitar sample, the track really opens up with the incorporation of a lazy, syncopated beat and layers of fluttering keyboard melodies.
The combination of elements nicely compliment Rathmell’s vocal performance, something to be accredited to the self-starter method he utilities to create his art.
Being only the second single from the artist, it’s clear that his songwriting is getting stronger right alongside his production skills. With Hard Out There Rathmell gives a more refined melodic performance than on 2018’s I’ll Let You Down, and incorporates the darker side of his R&B influences to great effect.
As the track winds down into a spoken word section, Rathmell takes the opportunity to clarify the song’s mantra:
“Life moves pretty fast, if you don’t stop to look around once in a while, you’re gonna miss it.”
Life can be hard, that’s for sure. But at least with Fraser Rathmell, things will seem much easier for three and a half minutes.
Hard Out There is out now.
