Deep and soulful, softly raspy vocals draw attention from the offset as this simple yet intriguing, emotive new single from Caroline Mercedes boldly pours through the speakers.
Led by a solo voice and piano progression for the most part, with a subtle wash of synths for an added level of appropriate darkness, the song Black follows a rise and fall melody – a wave of reflection, contemplation and personal honesty, to lead us through this diary-like journey of poetic consideration.
As the song progresses, the intensity rises just slightly, but not through the addition of a beat or a change in melody – purely through the rising intensity of the lyrics, of their increasingly revealing nature and the ultimate outcry of the closing quarter. There’s also some mild evolution in the piano-playing, which further underlines this conceptual progression.
The whole thing feels like an incredibly personal song, that of coming to terms with certain events and the role of the self, the impact of change. It doesn’t seek to be particularly catchy or quirky, instead it floats through with a certain air of aptly dark, soulful uncertainty, and this is what introduces Caroline Mercedes as an artist creating, writing and performing, purely from the need to do so.
An interesting take on modern alternative pop. Hopefully there’s more music on the way.
Check out Caroline Mercedes on Instagram.
