"It's contemporary, pop and in Maltese, so I expect most radios will take to it". Those were my precise words after being given an advance preview of Sempliċità just days after the New Year had rolled in. The debut single from Gozitan band The Travellers has of course picked up a healthy chunk of radio airplay since its official release in mid-January, not to mention an encouraging amount of positive feedback, even topping Bay Radio's Top 10 Malta chart earlier this week. This pleases me greatly not because it proved me right (well, maybe that too), but more importantly, its rapid entry onto the local airwaves suggests a growing awareness on the Maltese radio stations' part of contemporary Maltese releases rather than just the evergreens.
That however is an argument to be discussed in another instance. Right here and now, this is about The Travellers, whose name comes from the members' regular journeying to and from Malta, and the band's rather impressive introduction to the local scene. Sempliċità's catchy brass hook is simple yet effective, the brass also weaving in and out of the song to punctuate its groove and push foward its free-spirited lyrics. It is, in every sense, a modern Maltese pop song; a welcome addition to a growing number of releases in our native tongue that have surfaced in recent years.
The Travellers first got together in 2013, their primary aim to create, in their own style, "something different in an already widely diversified local music scene". I wouldn't say Sempliċità is unique, but it does have a particular sound, and it's certainly a step in the right direction. "We've been working on our music intensively this past year", the band said. Searching for the right mix that fused a contemporary sound, brass and Maltese lyrics, they said that "it all started more out of curiosity", adding that a little bit of experimenting proved crucial to the end result.
Much as Sempliċità has brought the band newfound fame, they are quick to add that they're not necessarily restricting themselves to singing in Maltese only, but are rather keen to keep their options open. Expect to hear more from this band in 2016 as they continue to work on their debut EP.