Artist Name: Solea Title: Buried Treasure Genre: Alternative Pop Rating:
Equipment
Computer – Apple MacBook Pro M1; DAW – Pro Tools; Audio Interface – Universal Audio Apollo Twin X; Preamps – Rupert Neve Designs 511 into Focusrite Clarett+ Octopre; Microphones – Warm Audio U47 (vocals) and Shure SM57 (amp); Software Instruments – Omnisphere, Keyscape, Arturia V Collection and Superior Drummer 3; Guitar – Fender Stratocaster; Amp – Fender Princeton Reverb; Monitor Speakers – Yamaha H5; Headphones – Hifiman Edition XS; Headphone Amp – Rupert Neve Designs RNHP
Music
“Buried Treasure” is an Alternative Pop song written by Solea, a duo featuring Nick Gallagher (production, mixing and mastering) and Alex Probst (primary vocals).
Most of the track—drums, keyboards and percussion—was created with Superior Drummer 3, Omnisphere, Keyscape and the Arturia V Collection, while the guitar sounds were recorded with a Stratocaster plugged into a Fender Princeton Reverb that was miked with a Shure SM57.
Review By Dave Martin
“Buried Treasure” offers several surprises to the first-time listener—open, roomy, even dark drums—reminiscent of Andy John’s drum sound on Led Zeppelin’s classic, “When The Levee Breaks.” We also get added percussion at the start, while layered keyboards bring an entirely different vibe to the track. The drum track was created primarily using an Arturia BeatStep Pro to trigger the drums while also automating the built-in SD3 variation to add some randomization.
Alex Probst’s voice (recorded with a Warm Audio U47) enters, followed shortly by harmony vocals, which build into complex choral harmonies. Based on the initial opening drums, none of this is where I expected the song to evolve.
Around 2:25, the song’s tempo picks up, the drums get busier, the harmonic structure changes, and male voices are added to the harmonies. Gallagher said, “When writing that section, we wanted to evoke a sensation similar to restless dreaming, when your mind is troubled, but your body is exhausted. From a production perspective, I felt this could be accomplished by a dichotomy between the vocal and the rest of the instrumentation. Our goal with the vocal was to convey a sensation that is surreal but ultimately peaceful. In contrast, we felt that an increased tempo and slightly frantic instrumental would produce the churning, unsettled foundation of a state of restlessness.” The song returns to the original tempo and harmonic structure a minute later.
Part of what makes “Buried Treasure” work so well for me is how well all the parts are layered; the various sounds blend so well that each time I listen, I hear another nuance I missed on earlier listens. The percussion parts don’t call attention to their presence, and even the electric guitars help support the singer without getting in the way and never draw attention to themselves.
All of this is harder to achieve than you might think. That same attention to detail gives the vocal tracks a depth that would otherwise be missing. The sounds used on “Buried Treasure” are layered in a way reminiscent of the way spices are used in cooking; when done right, together, they add complexity without any one spice overpowering the rest.
Dave’s Suggestions
“Buried Treasure” is a reminder that there are many ways to construct a song. The verse/chorus structure behind most of the pop songs of the last 70 years is likely the most common, but it’s not the only creative approach to songwriting.
Many English/Irish/Scottish ballads have no choruses and weave the narrative through multiple verses. There is also a symphonic approach to songwriting. Instead of standard verses and choruses, the lyrical sections flow from one to the next; themes and snippets of the melody and/or chord progression may reoccur, but the harmonic structure of each section can change, even if the section most important to the story of the song is repeated as a chorus.
“Buried Treasure” feels a bit like symphonic writing, and I found the way the song is put together to be interesting—and very, very cool.
Another noteworthy item is how Nick Gallagher mixed the various keyboard layers. He has interesting sounds tucked into the mix, so you don’t notice them on first listening—especially when listening on consumer-grade speakers. But once you do, those textures are ear candy, adding a subtle but definite layer of interest to the track.
The vocals received the same treatment. Through careful panning and volume settings, the individual vocal parts don’t call attention to themselves, but the result is a lush and full support of the lead vocal.
I’ve had conversations with respected engineers who believe that fader moves of less than a dB are inaudible when mixing; a mix like this can prove otherwise. These subtle volume changes absolutely make this mix.
My take on “Buried Treasure” is that the writers had a vision for the song and achieved that vision.
Summary
When a song becomes more interesting upon repeated listening, it makes me happy. Solea’s “Buried Treasure” is one of those songs. I’m so glad to have learned about this duo and will look for more of their work. Well done!
Dave Martin is a producer, engineer and bassist. Dave owned Nashville’s Java Jive Studio for close to 25 years. Dave has recorded, produced and/or played with symphony orchestras, rock and roll icons and country music legends ranging from the Old Crow Medicine Show, The Dead Pickers Society, Porter Wagoner, Robben Ford, Billy Cobham, The Box Tops, Carl Verheyen, Richie Faulkner (Judas Priest), Adrian Belew, Rick Nielsen (Cheap Trick), Eric Johnson, Robbie Fulks, Steve Vai, The Coasters and others. Dave is also a member of the Western Swing Hall of Fame.