In the summer of 2025, singer songwriter Rich Allo released ‘Sabre Teeth’, a strange single that blended styles in a most unexpected way. Its underlying acoustic guitar lines had a hint of influence from post grunge in their chord pattern, but drew more from anti-folk in the way the recording used a lo-fi mix and live sound to present itself. The live sound also allowed for the sound of fingers on frets to be audible, giving the core of the verse a genuine character. Rich then contrasted that with a huge vocal where falsetto sounds made for an unnatural match. However, given time to adjust, the track shared a melodic core that was huge, and the second half of the number – sharing more of a rock-centic voice and some very busy lead guitar work – played a little more towards tradition, all the while clinging onto something that didn’t immediately sound like anyone else.
By comparison, Rich’s current single ‘You’ feels a little more sedate. That also makes it more accessible for the first time listener. Opening with a mid tempo and soft keyboard drones, and allowing a gentle guitar to cry in the rear, the music feels a little more radio-friendly, but the lead vocal, again, shares something a little grander – something that feels more attuned to the stage than helming a pop-rock number. Allo’s higher tones are still striking, of course, and there are a couple of fleeting moments here where he feels like he might be channelling current Yes man Jon Davison with a pinch of David McAlmont.
A couple of verses in, the music gradually starts to shift, first by naturally increasing the volume of the guitars, then by changing keys to make more of a feature of a solemn piano. It then shifts back to the original melody, over which Rich reaches for a louder sound. This bridges into a rather epic climax where chugging guitars show off the performer’s rockier side, layering a melody that transitions from the adult pop world and into something that sounds as if it should be accompanied by the end credits of a blockbuster movie.
If you didn’t like Rich’s vocal style before, it’s unlikely that the grandness of ‘You’ will win you over, but for the listener willing to keep an open and adventurous ear, it’s a number that has the potential to sound better with each spin.
Take a listen below.