Cara-Mel – Back To The Grind “putting in the time before you can reap the rewards”

This track has a heavy and intense ambiance to it from the very first few moments. The energy is high, the vibe is dark and impossible to ignore, though despite the darkness of the synths and the thickness of the beat and the bass, the lyrics portray the importance of work ethic, of putting in the time before you can reap the rewards, and this brings about a different feeling with the music the more you get into the track.

The leading vocal performance has an intensity and passion to it that matches the intensity of the music really well. The structure of the track allows there to be room to pause, room to breathe, and the vocal performance reacts and utilises these moments brilliantly. The vocal sound is anything but mellow, and this reinforces the value and importance of the grind. The performance comes through as believable, genuine, not just a collection of words. This sort of truth is likely to appeal to a number of listeners, and the track is creatively and professionally produced so that it really strikes hard when you hear it.

There’s a lot that is fresh about the recording. The backing track itself comes across as new and exciting, appropriately energising – it motivates you, more and more so as the lyrics pour out. The ideas presented in the lyrics also offer a fresh perspective, the talk of oppression and not being put in a box is something that will speak to a huge number of people, and yet the artist has portrayed a unique angle on all of it, so it feels like something new and relevant. It’s great to stumble upon a high energy piece of motivational music with a fresh perspective and a unique sense of character.

By Rebecca Cullen

Rebecca is a Musician and writer from Manchester, UK, with an MA in Song Writing