‘Only one’ by Cerian “quite refreshing to hear a modest vocal placement”

‘Only One’ has a really easy going vibe to it, musically speaking. The beat comes through as deeply mellow and slightly ambient in the way that trip-hop or down tempo electronica often is. The song’s hook adds a surprising further testament to this aura, the electronically effected melody offering a structural shift and a break from the rap vocal or spoken word of the verses. As a complete piece everything fits well with the mood and there’s definitely a touch of character and the unexpected to it all.

The verses tie in well with the mood, the artist’s vocal performance has a certain low key energy to it that lays smoothly alongside of the beat. There’s also a fair bit of space within the walls of the song, so you’re calmed by the sound yet inclined to listen to those lyrics more and more as the track progresses. The leading rap vocal has a slightly spoken word vibe to it for the most part, seeming at first like a freestyle, then later appearing much more pre-planned and organised among the backdrop and the underlying story line.

The voice sounds a little distant within the mix, far from sharp or aggressive, perhaps lacking a little in terms of impact though – due to this dreamlike placement. The voice strikes as an additional instrument; it sounds good, but it doesn’t leave you with any particular lyric in mind other than that which comes through in the hook melody. It’s actually quite refreshing to hear a modest vocal placement within a new hip-hop track, though it does make you want to listen once or twice more to catch the unfolding sentiment. That’s not always a bad thing, however – the music is enjoyable and easy to listen over to so that connection can be formed.

By Rebecca Cullen

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