As we change and grow and move onto bigger and brighter things in our lives, it's often easy to forget everywhere we've been, the things we've seen, and the people that have made us. As an indie mag, we owe every ounce of the platform we've developed over the last few years, first and foremost, to you, our dear readers, that check back every time an update rattles through their cell phone to alert them of a brand new, unsolicited Tonitrualian opinion. We then owe it to the labels, agencies and managers that we work side by side with everyday to bring you, our dear readers, new tunes and new thought. Most of all, we owe it to the artists, to the bands, songwriters, and producers that eagerly and courageously share their lifeblood into the sonic consciousness of the Tonitruale umbrella.
But above all the hubbub, hullabaloo, and hardcore music, there stands a unique man of unyielding character and creativity; a man now so engrained in the image of the magazine, that he has become the very boisterous personification of the magazines himself. An artist so eager to change and to grow and to truly reach the pinnacle of their desired sound-- the ultimate wizard in terms of attack and defense. Please welcome back to the pages of Tonitruale, our dear friend, Harrison Lipton.
The last time we featured Lipton here on Tonitruale was back in 2022, for the release of his delightfully oversexed single, "Sagittarius;" a single that, at the time, marked an exciting new direction for Lipton, taking his first dive into a larger than life sound that displayed his keen sense for experimentation and innovation, as well as his sweet, silky vocals. Since then, Lipton has been keeping us fed and content from behind the scenes, redirecting his attention towards refining his collaborative and creative abilities, and etching his blazing name into the credits of some of the hottest names in indie music, including indie rock standouts, Yot Club, and the beautiful souls making crying on the jazz club floor cool again, MICHELLE. However, in between all the excitement, Lipton has only found time to release a lone single since 2022, in the form of 2023's city pop subway daydream, "Eternity." Now over a year since his last solo release, Lipton has finally graced us a piping-hot helping of groove-intensive personality and a new brand of charm that only he could deliver.
The Brooklyn native's latest single, "Synchronized Swimming," is an undeniable left turn that couldn't feel more right. Co-engineered by frequent collaborator Ian Bakerman of Phony Ppl and featuring backing vocals from MICHELLE’s Layla Kuriloff, this new track is as subtle as it is swinging; a jazz-pop fusion that gives physical form to the indescribable feeling of bliss and serenity of rolling around by the pool, of speeding through the crisp evening air, hand in hand with that special someone. Propelled by a bright, sugary piano and reigned in by a patient, rhythmic snare, Lipton perfectly captures that beautiful moment when two hearts begin to beat as one, when you stop being "you and I," and meld together, synchronizing together as "us."
As you've hopefully come to understand and expect, "Synchronized Swimming" is only the first leap in an exciting new charge for the aquatic cowboy crooner. Lipton has never sounded more comfortable in his sound, or looked more adventurous in his aesthetic, and I for one am shivering in anticipation for the exciting next moves of an artist finally realizing their greatest potential.
Rob Lucchesi
Harrison Lipton
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