Music can so often be about so much more than physical music. We all know someone with a good voice who never realised their potential, so it’s often also about luck, natural all-round talent, and a bit of swagger. Sometimes sheer attitude can help carry people and the day along. So, when I spotted 18-year-old Manchester teen Bruno Rogelj and his music project Kestrel Palace making some pre-release visual noise on Instagram I took notice.

Big ups to Robyn Webb who has produced much of the excellent photography on the Kestrel Palace page (and which I’ve used for this piece too).   

As it turns out my instinct for checking out Kestrel Palace was right. As well as having image and spark, the music more than stands up to scrutiny. The first Kestrel Palace studio single Get Up is so much more than its component parts.

Get Up is a very Manchester influenced tune with vocal phrasing right out of the Gallagher brother’s songbook. I can almost imagine Bruno leaning against a mic in the studio wearing a parka and his hands behind his back. But there’s happily much more than that too; fans of Catfish and the Bottlemen will love the sparky infectious energy in the song, and I get a playful vibe to the tune.

Kestrel Palace’s Get Up is fun city; if Liam were one of the Beach Boys perhaps we would come close to what we have here; the surf is good out Sale way. In a recent interview with the Grace Note Blog, Bruno name checks the Arctics, Oasis and also those 70’s soft country rock pioneers The Eagles. It is clearly that melodic comforting heart speeded up into new wave, that I’m channelling into.  

There’s an edgy impatience in the lyrics which is replicated in the music where it seems Kestrel Palace just can’t wait to experience what the world has to offer. Although the song started life a couple of years ago, it seems perfect for our (hopeful) re-emergence into the world.  

As Bruno sings the lyrics of the song, he describes that his guitar is itching and he needs to walk the walk and talk the talk today. With the classic Mary Jane reference and “waiting for my memories to come and play”, there’s some suggestions of some fun, and the song really tells us that this day is going to an ace one.

While Get Up was recorded with now departed band mates, Bruno has further plans for the Kestral Palace solo project with new songs waiting to record.

Chris R