These days, it’s incredibly refreshing to hear a different kind of arrangement in the single format. And like a clockwork ballerina winding down to a stop, Malicious Monotony proves it is anything but. Well, it may be malicious, but it’s chock-full of imagination and interesting and brave choices.
Pop
A relentless sub-bass rumbles and drives right through the heart of this song, insistently underpinning the satisfying chord changes that refuse to be ignored. It’s clearly been loved, this arrangement, with smart drum programming that uses the full stereo spread and there’s buzz and warmth and bubbly synths at the edges, too. The song feels like it’s breathing; like the whole thing is an intellectual exercise in side-chaining. But with heart.
Growing from solo vocal and reverb-heavy guitar strums that leak cool everywhere, into a stereo spread and mix of wet and dry sounds that are superbly managed, No Worries delivers on every level, has broad appeal and I believe should do incredibly well.
Undoubtedly, Translation is a release that grows more entertaining and immersive as it progresses. This classic and passionate approach to pop is always welcomed when it returns via such an authentic and energetic performance.
This bluesy, soulful cut delivers a message with all the passion you’d expect from the daughter of Grammy-nominated George and Gwen McCrae. Time to give God’s Way a try?
Stephen Babcock’s brand new single is an easy hit that ticks a whole lot of different boxes. Pouring through with the simple rhythm of an MGMT piece but the vocal swagger and clarity of a blues-rock classic, Fight I Need goes on to become conceptually accessible yet presented in a refreshing and somewhat quirky manner.
Essex-based singer-songwriter Georgia Box’s sex positive anthem Coco is a well-produced pop song that could comfortably fit within the mainstream.
The last nod to the Baby Shark phenomenon is the post-chorus part, which harks back to 50s doo-wop, with its nonsense rhythmic lyrics. Altogether now: ‘Bam-a-lam-a-lam-a-ding-dong…’
With some decent exposure, I could imagine Let Me Know appealing to a very broad demographic: it’s a confident slice of hip-hop that ticks all the lifestyle-centric tropes of current on-trend bangers. It feels mature and authentically honest without being too knowing or too cynical, and deserves to be shared around.
Tar-ris’s use of breath as a percussion element and bird sounds in the chorus, coupled with the piano loops, creates a cinematic undertone that ultimately adds to the overarching drama of the music.
The lyrical content is congruous to the title’s suggested themes, with mentions of the stars, the dark, and the sky. This is furthered by a driving, but atmospheric production featuring long reverbs to create a large sense of space, and orbiting delays that pan across the stereo field like comet tails across the night’s sky.
Fusing the addictive benefits of a rhythmic and upbeat soundscape, with a quickly engaging, emotional story-line and vocal, Tidal Wave is a simple dream of a pop track. The song utilizes poetry and metaphor to craft and build-up brilliantly towards and easily memorable hook.