“The Time It Takes To Fall” is one of three singles released by Irish singer-songwriter Ger Eaton in late 2021. A veteran of the music industry, Eaton launched his solo career at the start of the pandemic in 2020. His genre-bending style both in his music and dress makes him quite the interesting up-and-comer.
Eaton’s first single, “Engineers” (2020) was an appropriately titled industrial rock-sounding collaboration with Les Marionettes. It was electronic with Eaton seemingly taking vocal inspiration from David Bowie. This year’s batch of singles is a complete stylistic 180. Eaton goes back a few decades and revisits the mid-20th century, paying tribute to the classic pop bands of the 50s and 60s.
“The Time It Takes To Fall” has an incredibly energetic start led by bass drum followed by a bombastic orchestral drive with trumpets adding a wonderful Latin flare. The piano backbone of the song swings like the Penguin’s “Earth Angel” (1954). “The Time It Takes To Fall” blends the sounds of several different musical eras. You wouldn’t find a pop singer like Eaton pre-1960, but much of the instrumentation pulls from prior periods. What’s so fascinating about this piece is how seamlessly it blends these different genres without being pretentious. Perhaps it’s because these genres don’t feel out of place with each other. It’s not “Bohemian Rhapsody” in its ambition but it works wonderfully, nonetheless.
Eaton’s vocals have echoes of the great pop stars of old. His tone is very calm, and for the most part it doesn’t sound like he is stressing his voice too much. This does mean that we don’t get any mind blowing vocals but they would probably be out of place in this sort of song. The Bowie-style vocals from “Engineers” are gone in favor of something more attuned to The Animals’ Eric Burdon. Included are some well thought out harmonies that add to the ethereal sound of the song without congesting it.
The musicianship is absolutely outstanding here. Not only does Eaton provide some great vocals but the instruments are so tight. It’s almost cinematic in its grandeur at points. And yes, the beautiful craftsmanship extends to the songwriting. The lyrics are great, but the structure is a little repetitive. “The genesis of reason, the tolling of the death knell” is one of many haunting lyrics that made my ears perk up.
Virtually everything at play here is top notch. The mix is rich, and considering how many elements there are, surprisingly clean. For someone to achieve a sound like this without a big studio is amazing. I don’t know what recording methods Eaton uses but his sound rivals that of a major label-backed group.
Having been unfamiliar with Eaton’s work prior to listening to “The Time It Takes To Fall,” I can safely say that I will be watching for new releases from him with bated breath. I was thoroughly impressed with his small body of work. I highly recommend giving “The Time It Takes To Fall” a listen and supporting the great talent and hidden gem that is Ger Eaton.
