Released on 23/05/25
Reviewed by Thomas Needham
An unstated aspect of this j̶o̶b, s̶i̶d̶e̶h̶u̶s̶t̶l̶e, hobby of mine is scouring through defunct social media pages and websites like some crazy ex, sifting through as much information to unbosom as I can. What some may call stalkerish, I call intellectually curious.
From what I’ve gathered Give A Little Love started life a decade ago as a track on Revival’s 2015 EP Wall of Sound. While the EP has been seemingly scrubbed from the internet, the band’s music lives on since they went inactive in early 2024 as former frontman Daz Lynch attempts to carve out a new solo career.
His previous single Promise Land (reviewed previously by Phil Taylor), was a stripped-back affair that wore the influence of Oasis acoustic sets on its sleeve. With no drums and an acoustic guitar filling in for a bass during the chorus, there was a charm to the song in its extensive use of vocal harmonies, even in a very guitar-centric mix alongside a tambourine that takes up more attention than it ought to.
His music is a bit like if Liam Gallagher found God. As if he finally got in the ring with Robbie Williams and they just decided to really hug it out. There’s an unpretentious optimism to it that’s a little different to the music I normally write about.
As a preface, I have no idea what Daz’s views are, I may well be barking up the wrong tree (especially since I can’t find any of the music itself) but I’m almost certain there’s an implicit religiosity to his music, especially looking at Revival’s discography: Wake Up, The Preacher, Hey Lord, Promise Land, We Rise, See The Light, All We Need, Shine a Light. I wouldn’t speculate on his specific views but everything about Lynch’s discography clicked into place when I realised this particular emphasis on faith (in a general, perhaps music-centric sense).
The clear influence of George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass should be noted, I like to think Phil Spector’s producing technique is where Revival found the name for their first EP: Wall of Sound. And that’s a perfect descriptor for the mixing of Lynch’s latest single Give A Little Love.
Now accompanied by a rhythm section manned by John Barrow on saxophone and John O’Rilley whose sashaying bass flutters its feathers across the mix. It’s a nice step forward from Promise Land, providing an enjoyable counter-melody, especially when Daz’s vocal harmonisations take centre-stage.
The rhythm guitar is a mainstay throughout the song, perhaps there are some cues to be taken from Gerry Cinnamon who engraitates his songs with a little more rhythmic flourish and experimentation; by comparison, Give A Little Love‘s a little on the lumbering side.
To counter this, the song is absolutely packed with midi accompaniments; it sounds a lot less Oasis than his previous release, seemingly taking my cues from latter-era Madness. With its O’Reilly’s saxophone ornamentation, a synth backing akin to a Heavenly choir and lyrical allusions to being one’s ‘hope and glory’, it’s the kind of allusions to a quaint, homely England that Madness in particular toyed with throughout their careers.
The guitar lick played during a brass interlude instantly reminded me of a more self-serious iteration of Got To Get You Into My Life by The Beatles. The stabbing guitar on each beat of the verse is a tad Getting Better too now that I think about it.
George Harrison’s influence is pronounced lyrically as Daz repeatedly implores the listener to:
‘Give a little love, to set you free’
‘It’s a sound from above that’ll get you on your knees,’
‘Give a little love, to set you free’
‘Keep a faith, give me peace,’
‘it’s embrace is a perfect remedy.’
However without the inclusion of the bassline and the assortment of extra trimmings, the repetition of the song would be a lot more pronounced. It certainly evolves musically but lyrically the song is stunted by having a verse -> pre-chorus -> chorus structure that gets repeated in its entirety. I hope in future material Daz can really bring his songs together by developing this further.
While rummaging online I happened upon an old performance of Give A Little Love back in 2022 at a Duffy’s Bar gig. Revival’s version of the song has way more emphasis on the drums. The latest single is far less playful, not only slowing the song down a modicum, but ditching the boisterous syncopated hi-hats during interludes for a far more subtle yet stilted and synthetic rhythm. I feel in my heart it’s a shame because I love syncopated hi-hats but my head tells me it was probably the right decision for the more singer-songwriter approach Lynch is taking.
Give A Little Love is a solid step forward for Lynch as he gears up for the release of his forthcoming debut album Ride The Wave. With a fuller and more traditionally cohesive and confident song, if you’re looking for a sound more befitting of recent weather then Daz Lynch is an artist you should keep your eyes peeled for.