LISTEN: Clarkyverse — The War Within Me
Clarke Garbutt is a songwriter from Nottingham who has lived with type 1 diabetes since childhood and with multiple sclerosis since 2016. When illness made the usual ways of making music hard, he turned to AI-assisted production at home and kept writing, with Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams and Linkin Park as his guiding lights. His new track "The War Within Me" is a rock ballad drawn from his own fight with suicidal thoughts and from the love for his daughter Hannah that keeps him going.
The vocals are rich in deep overtones, sometimes restrained, sometimes intensely emotional. It’s no surprise that the artist cites Linkin Park as one of his influences. Musically, though, the song leans toward classic ’80s rock. There are the characteristic guitars, of course, but also that unmistakable ’80s rock atmosphere. And there’s a particularly juicy guitar solo toward the end.
I also like how the arrangement follows the emotional contrasts in the lyrics. Some parts are loud and explosive, with the whole band going full force, while others are much quieter, with just a few instruments playing. And the shifts between them work really well, letting you feel each emotional turn in the lyrics.
The vocals are rich in deep overtones, sometimes restrained, sometimes intensely emotional. It’s no surprise that the artist cites Linkin Park as one of his influences. Musically, though, the song leans toward classic ’80s rock. There are the characteristic guitars, of course, but also that unmistakable ’80s rock atmosphere. And there’s a particularly juicy guitar solo toward the end.
I also like how the arrangement follows the emotional contrasts in the lyrics. Some parts are loud and explosive, with the whole band going full force, while others are much quieter, with just a few instruments playing. And the shifts between them work really well, letting you feel each emotional turn in the lyrics.