Ryan Hudson is a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist offering up a hook-heavy sound that fuses the evolution of rock music with a somewhat more retro pop backdrop, making for something that you recognize fairly quickly as his sound. Been Leavin You on the high energy of the instrumentation and the strength of the key line. The set-up fuses distorted guitars with classic keys and a vibrant drumline, on top of which the artist’s characterful leading voice delivers the song and its underlying sentiment with notable power.
Ryan Hudson, Okie turned Angeleno, is the longtime vocalist of Los Angeles-based Rock band Love and a .38, lead guitarist for The Pride, and proprietor of Blushing Cad Studios. He writes songs, produces records, and is passable on nearly 2 instruments. When the world was closed he recorded and released his first solo album “Half Steps and Harmonies”, and will be starring in the upcoming feature film Parallel Worlds in 2022.
The leading synth riff playing out alongside of the beat has the simple yet entertaining ambiance of any stand-out and slightly dark hip-hop release. It’s a strong choice to represent the musicality of the track, something about it is familiar, in keeping with much of modern rock though not veering off in some production direction that tries to appear as overly creative or unique. It just is what it is, and that’s a big part of the rock genre – the truth, the realness. The beat itself keeps things moving in a similar manner, and then on top of everything comes the song’s concept, its sentiment, and the undeniable sense of character embedded within the leading vocal performance.
Structurally the moments in between hooks lay bare the melody and ideas of the song. These moments are mellow, they give you time to reflect on the concept, and they also create a distinct contrast with the hard-hitting chorus that will follow, so the impact is even greater. Following on from this, each hook is followed by a notable riff, something that really pushes further that undeniable element of individuality. The varying stages of the song make sense together, and furthermore, they offer something that is optimistic at heart but not without the presence of some distant emotional turmoil or experience that led to the writing of this song. The verse melody has a slight touch of melancholy that really gets you thinking.
