Starting off with subtle country-twanging guitar and the simplest of kick’n’tambo rhythm sections, Love on Lockdown is a sweet meditation on the current state of affairs that the planet finds itself in.
As with most simple tracks of quality, there is a vast deal more going on than there first appears. The reverb-heavy lead vocal, delivered with an uncomplicated frankness, is backed with a dryer choir of backing voices that sweetly support from the wings. The afore-mentioned country guitar stylings, way back in the mix, are emoting with deft subtlety in the background, warming and fleshing out the sound. It’s an extremely tasteful treatment. There’s a subtle piano part underpinning things, too.
The chord progression and its relationship with the melody feels absolutely classic, extracted from the classic songwriter’s handbook that you’d love to get your hands on; but that doesn’t actually exist. It reminds me, also, of some of the spacious production on Bernard Butler’s debut album, People Move On.
As the track progresses, the guitars start to inject energy by chugging along and the drummer finally steps up to caress the toms and the hi hat in yet more sympathetic accompaniment.
The final vamp, based around the simple and direct lyric ‘You’re the one / You’re the one / That makes me smile’ creates a ridiculous amount of tension before it finally, and satisfyingly, resolves. And let us hope that the Coronavirus decides to do the same thing!
A lovely, tuneful and satisfying song.
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