With a melodic strength and synth-driven ambiance not unlike Years & Years, but the heartfelt delicacy of a more personal singer-songwriter approach, Friends (I Don’t Wanna Be) introduces Lorenzo Doryon’s sound and creative style in a memorable way.
Friends (I Don’t Wanna Be) is a song that slowly but surely weaves its way into your consciousness as it plays out. Bringing together modern and professional production, stylishly interwoven details and building blocks that work in unison to craft something colourful and mildly energizing, the song offers the crisp finish of a contemporary pop release – with a few dashes of character to keep it relevant to the artist at hand.
One of the first things to strike about this performance and indeed the accompanying lyric video is that Lorenzo Doryon has a clear passion for music and singing. His connection to the melody, to the words, and indeed his enjoyment when presenting them – his energy matches that of the soundscape and the moment flawlessly.
As the song begins, the beat and the opening lines touch on aspects of modern pop that are familiar and comforting in being so. Then you get the breakaway – the beat falls back, the pre-chorus offers something of a hook in itself, as well as a subtle sense of anticipation. After this, the instrumental hook hits and quickly becomes the absolute highlight of the whole track. The melodic sections lead up to this well, so the drop satisfies – it’s not overbearing, not too heavy; it just fits. At the same time, you can hear the potential for a remix in those riffs and samples that burst onto the scene as the lyrics fall away.
By the end, all of these moments, these steps taken to lead you through – they all leave a mark. As is the way with effective, recognisable songwriting – it leaves you humming the tunes within, it leaves you addicted to the vibe or groove of the track, so you’re highly likely to come back again. Friends (I Don’t Wanna Be) is a smooth and well-produced single that ticks a lot of boxes in terms of where the mainstream music world seems to be right now.
Find & follow Lorenzo Doryon on Instagram. Visit his Website for more info.
