Single Review: Sky City

Kapiti based singer/songwriter Peyton Morete has been writing songs since she was 9. She won “best lyrics” at her regional Rockquest final when she was 10, describing the memory as “not bad for a little kid that was still learning spelling lists for homework”. There is an impressive maturity to seventeen year old Morete’s voice, allowing for depth in her soundscape. Her soulful voice sweeps the listener into a melodic and lyrical journey.

You can hear the mourning in the opening line of Morete’s latest single Sky City. She lowers the volume of her generally powerhouse vocals, evoking the sense that this is a secret and thoughtful moment. This allows room for her to build into a belted section later, driving a steady emotional build for the duration of the song. A clear strength for Morete is her vocals, and it is impressive to see the way she utilises harmony, dynamics, and controlled falsetto to craft an emotional narrative.

The song is an epitaph for her childhood cat, who Morete has “never known life without”. She skilfully captures the unique connection that children share with pets with which they have grown up. Her choice of electric piano compliments the melancholically mellow nature of the song.

Produced at home by Morete herself, Sky City is a piece with a creative subject matter and a sense of authenticity. While sincere and considered, the song had potential to build to a bigger sound with more presence in the low end at the end of the song. Morete’s early dedication to her craft is sure to pay off, as she will only continue to grow as a musician, achieving new heights as both a writer and performer. I look forward to following her successes, of which there are sure to be many.