Paul Ryan & Olivia Thomson – Longed For Life (Single Review)

Today on Music Review World, the indie powerhouse Paul Ryan returns once again, this time with a collaboration with another artist named Olivia Thomson. If you aren’t familiar with Paul Ryan’s work, you can skim through the review of his previous release here. In summary, he is an indie-folk musician who emerged from the Midlands in England, merging warm guitar melodies and striking vocals and lyrics akin to musicians like Bob Dylan and Nick Drake. His previous release racked up a rating of ‘Good’, for a juxtaposed sound that combines aspects of ‘stripped-down’ sounds with intensity as well.

It is stated that Paul and Olivia have already started work on their upcoming album together titled ‘Eyes of an Enemy’. This songwriting collaboration between both of them commenced at the beginning of 2025 and is apparently highly anticipated by fans. The album is heavily influenced by the artists’ inspirations, such as Bob Dylan once again, Joni Mitchell, Lana Del Rey, The Cure, Joy Division and many others.

All songs, in turn, are written by both of them, and mastered by the producer Brett Shaw, with credits on Florence + the Machine’s work. Sound engineer and session musician Georgia Fullalove is credited with the bass guitar, lead guitar, 12-string arrangements and keyboard. Grammy-award winning musician Felipe Ribeiro also contributes to this album with work on the Korg Kronos 2 and Rhodes keyboard. Paul Ryan finishes off with guitar arrangements and co-leads with Olivia on vocals, who also contributes to all backing vocals.

In this review, we will tackle their newest single titled ‘Longed For Life’.

The song comes off as an almost psychedelic take on folk and indie, turning almost ethereal and bewildering in some aspects. It reminds me a lot of Fleetwood Mac and even some of Courtney Love’s earlier works, in the harmonizing and vocal aspect. The song is pretty eye-opening, giving you the sensation of entering a new musical portal, as the two vocalists’ vocals beautifully complement each other in the midst of the hopeful, melodic guitar in the background. It is a very simple song, but oddly complex at the same time.

I think this single is a wonderful choice to put their feet out in the water and test the waters, as its extremely promising and shows that the full album would probably be just as good. Every element in the record is very well-mastered as well, making every element truly blend. This release is an improvement from the previous one, on Paul Ryan’s end.

Score/Excellent: Longed for Life is actually an intricate track that blends the vocals of two powerhouses very beautifully, all while providing an apt musical instrumentation. It is hopeful and very positive in its execution and its feel.

[We rank singles, EPs, and albums on a scale of Poor, Mediocre, Good, Excellent, and Outstanding]

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