“Don’t Give Up”
Earnest Pugh
Blacksmoke Worldwide Music (release date: May 17, 2024)
By Robert M. Marovich
Earnest Pugh’s new single “Don’t Give Up” is a passionately sung and frenetically arranged but lyrically and melodically conventional canticle about strength and faith in the face of adversity. It will hit its mark among Pugh’s fan base but could be even more affecting if it was slower and more flexible so Pugh could play with the tempo like a preacher controls the pacing of a sermon, directing the rising and falling of emotion.
Written by Pugh and produced by Aaron Carter, “Don’t Give Up” can also be found on the soundtrack of director Lee Shelton’s film Love Mountain.