Jamal Tinkov Returns With Indie Rock Single, “Let’s Be Friends?!”
Newfoundland-based singer-songwriter Jamal Tinkov has unveiled his single, “Let’s Be Friends?!”
Jamal shares,
“I think the song is about longing for a simpler time. As I’ve grown older life seems to become more complicated and we lose touch with people that used to be very present in our lives. The track is an ode to those old buddies who you miss and just hoping they’re doing ok!
This song came relatively quickly one evening when I sat down with my guitar. I had the bulk of the guitar arrangement and lyrics within a couple of hours. I then took it to my producer Robert Kelly and we reworked some of the arrangement and he helped write a riff for the breaks and we had the bones of the song. From there we got the band to play on it and Robert worked his magic to the final result. A fun tidbit about this track is that the vocal that is used on the final version is actually the guide vocal used in the original demo. We did many different takes but we were never able to capture the vibe and feel of the original vocal track so we just ended up using that!”
Review
Back in 2021, we covered Jamal’s single, Cruel Love, so when I heard there was a new release, I was anxious to check it out.
“Let’s Be Friends?!” begins with a mellow, steady beat. As the song continues, the beat picks up and switches to a cheery tone, which melds perfectly with Jamal’s smooth and captivating vocals.
The lyrics, “When we were young, we used to say that we’d never grow apart, But how did time change you, into a person I don’t know,” are such a true statement in so many of our lives. As the song continues, Jamal continues with, “You used to call just to say, that your dad was a dick,” which also rings a bell. When you’re young, with no life stresses, worries, and responsibilities, friendship just seems to come easier. For many of us, we grow apart and only speak every few years or a quick hello in passing. The track really made me think back. We are sure when we’re young that we’ll never drift apart, but isn’t that life?
With all that being said, you still have that connection, and you do sometimes just need to make sure they are ok, whether it’s simply checking out their social media or a quick call. I think Jamal hit the nail on the head with this track!