Like a ray of sunshine cutting through the dark, ‘Stoneshoes – Wildfire’ is here to light up our lives. For the greater good. It’s immersive, dreamy, and has doses of psychedelic Floyd-esque guitar riffs, compelling you to read between the lines.

Stoneshoes is the brainchild of Nigel Rhys Watson. He expertly fuses indie rock and folk with the intensity of psychedelia and warm acoustic textures. Listening to this transports you to another realm, yet the words are grounding and relatable. It’s a modern-day ‘We Don’t Need No Education”.

The lyrics point to the important/hard choices the coming generations are going to have to make, for their sake and for everyone else’s. Lines from the first verse, like ‘They’re gonna have their day, By making sure things won’t be the same..’ are poignant and reflective. A rallying cry for the current and coming generations to learn from past mistakes and adapt well to change. And make no mistake, that change is coming, strong and fast, like a wildfire. We expand on this in the chorus in Nigel’s gentle soaring vocals with a touch of urgency – ‘And then it spreads like wildfire, The old ways up in flames…’.

Nigel has this to say about this message: “Wildfire” is about the next generation. I hope they don’t fall for indifference. Because real change doesn’t wait. It burns.’ It comes from a pragmatic view of the current American society and how the artist hopes that the coming generations can avoid making the same mistakes and be led by brave new ideas and action.

Musically, this track is hypnotic and soul-lifting. The dual guitar, acoustic rhythms that blend into the overall structure, and steady, expressive electric guitar riffs pair so well. Light, subtle piano touches add a grace and ethereal sound. The production is excellently done, in a way that lets all the instruments play well together and allows for Nigel’s voice and message to shine through.

It’s catchy and lingers in your mind after it ends. Listen to ‘Stoneshoes – Wildfire’ on Spotify here: