It’s one of the most gratifying listening experiences when, in an out-and-out pop song, the verse is as memorable as the chorus. In fact, the verse might even be catchier! Ladies and gents, welcome to Lailien’s Holiday. And then there’s the catchy refrain in the bridge, too…
So what we have here is a toe-tapper which is smartly-arranged, with real attention paid to dynamics and pay-offs, and a universal theme which anyone should be able to latch on to (and sing along with) during their first time listen.
It’s a song that comes with ‘go-faster’ stripes attached – we hit the first chorus in 20 seconds, and are left in no doubt that we’ve done so – the widescreen spread of backing vocals smacking in to give us a warming, joyous doubling-up of the main hook.
The lead vocal, engineered to sound like ‘telephone voice’ so that it cuts through the mix, still has plenty of laid-back character to it – all effortless natural vibrato and swagger. This proves to be a smart move as there’s a gentle message hiding behind all the apparent laissez-faire energy on display. ‘If you wanna be free, baby, love what you do’ – a mantra we can all get behind, right?
In amongst the instrumentation of buzzing 70s guitars, swirling organs and retro Rhodes, the band are doing sterling work, pointing and syncopating around the vocal hooks to great effect. This song is a blast! I have a personal philosophy that music can be a very cost-effective holiday. Here, that feeling has been made flesh.
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