Levi Lights On Project’s new single The People Awake is a tasty slice of Power Pop with a gothic undertow.
A big part of the sound is anchored in the militant sound of Black American music in the aftermath of the Martin Luther King assassination.
There was a slow rising of this militancy driven by the Civil Rights movement indicated in songs like James Brown’s Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag
Not the plaintive ballad of A Change is Gonna Come, Sam Cooke inspired by Dylan and the earnest Folkies. Motown kept tabs by coded messages of dancing in the streets.
Civil rights took its spiritual agenda from Gandhi and non-violence. Selma and the million people march to Washington, headed by MLK.
The flipside was the Black Muslims and Malcolm X. if you can’t face the truth, you don’t deserve freedom. Both men were assassinated.
It was King’s death in 1968 which flipped the switch for Black American music.
Sly and the Family Stone were all hippie-inclusive originally, with Everyday People. Openly hostile with Don’t Call Me Nigger, Whitey before becoming disillusioned and resigned with There’s A Riot Goin’ On.
Levi’s song has similar rumbles and incantatory chants of the Last Poets, and the fiery blasts of Gil Scott-Heron.
Connects to Metal with portentous orchestral strings on the intro.
Michael Levin Sesega was born in Samoa and came to live in New Zealand in his twenties.
This song has connections to the Samoan Metal of Shepherd’s Reign. Levi has a powerful vocal instrument which is like the classically trained voice of Shepherd’s lead singer Filiva’a James.
A quick listen to other Project singles and we find a singer-songwriter with an ear for melodic Folk.
Live To Be is acoustic freewheeling Paul Simon tones, accompanied by sister Mema Wilda on vocals.
Eyes of a Child is both stark and melodic, with the folkie intensity of a Finn Andrews.
Quite a range in style, as Levi was originally in a Rock band called Tribal State.
Levi Lights On Project with his new single The People Awake, and we are keen to hear how he develops.
Rev. Orange Peel