Properly laid-back and yet urgent, too, Like This exists in a wonderful soundscape that’s all its own. Buzzing, angry guitars weave through syncopated picking guitar and 808s that fill out the top and bottom of the sound with great skill.
Listen hard and you can just detect the tuning software that’s been deployed on the lead vocal to snap it into place in that hooky, slightly mechanical way – the sort that enhances a performance and makes it really compelling. I’m put in mind of Drake at certain moments.
The passion and character in the lead vocal barely needs enhancement, mind you. It’s a great example of connection to material, energetically moving across the backing track with great enthusiasm and commitment. He means this stuff.
Vince has crafted a sonically interesting set of sound states to sing to. There are spacy moments where the lead vocal has a vicious slap-back placed on it in a manner similar to John Lennon’s preferred vocal state. There are lengthy syncopated vocal passages with complex rhythms and rhymes which nicely showcase Vince’s dexterity as a vocalist, and his skill as a writer.
I particularly like the outro, which suddenly breaks down to a half-time beat and lopes like a wounded animal to a pensive conclusion…
Like This has been produced, mixed and written by Anthony Vince. Sometimes songs can suffer when an artist believes they can do it all – as they really are very different skill sets. That doesn’t prove to be an issue here though. The tune is robust, fascinating, and demonstrates a great sense of dynamic range and colour which elevates it to a distinctly high level.
Stream the single on Spotify. Find & follow Anthony Vince on Instagram.
