Phillip Island musician Jimmy Stanfield wears his influences on his sleeve on expansive new single Lake Fire.
Jimmy Stanfield has drawn from a diverse range of sounds on Lake Fire, a sultry guitar-driven cut that serves as the Victorian singer’s second single of 2023.
The track opens with subtle and sporadic percussion, before introducing a groovy bassline and Stanfield’s enrapturing vocals reminiscent of Matt Corby.
While there’s a myriad of influences on display, Lake Fire is bound in part by a fuzz rock groove, helped along by a slinky bassline and the shimmer of backing tambourines.
There’s plenty of sunny, almost-surf rock flairs — from rhythmic guitar sections to surrounding vocal harmonies — but the single also has a grittier feel to it, due in no small part to Stanfield’s rich timbre.
The juxtaposition between summery flairs and a more brooding sensibility isn’t the only ear-catching moment on Lake Fire, which elsewhere infuses string sections that afford it a distinct regal feel.
The result is an expansive track that borrows from elements of Motown, chamber pop and soul, with Stanfeild’s candid vocals being the throughline across an eclectic sonic palette.
Such archival influences are perhaps to be expected from a singer who cites Ray Charles and Al Green as inspirations, and Stanfield pairs his muses with thoughtful storytelling.
Here, the singer, Stanfeild ruminates on resilience in the face of adversity, singing candidly of being unable to “see over these lights.”
What begins as a reflection on life’s obstacles later becomes a “pleasant surprise,” as Stanfield finds someone who “keeps [his] interests in mind.”
Lake Fire is accompanied by an official music video, which was directed by Ryley Warrener and Tori McCan, and follows fellow singer Oonagh as she dances amongst the sheets of a lake-bound bed.
Alongside his solo efforts, which include the previously released singles Depend on You and Driving Through Your Life, Stanfield elsewhere forms part of the swamp blues band White Summer, who have shared the stage with the likes of DMA’s and DZ Deathrays, among others.
But with Lake Fire as evidence, Stanfield is equally at home in a solo spotlight. Listen to Jimmy Stanfield’s new single Lake Fire below, and scroll up to watch the official music video.
