‘Goodbye Felicia’ takes a somewhat subtle, punk-rock backdrop and fuses it with a mildly theatrical or pop-inspired leading vocal performance, which makes for something that sinks in much like a well written, soft-rock driving anthem might. The structure of the song furthers the pop element, the music falls away and re-builds in a manner that reiterates the current sentiment of the song.
When things fall away to almost silence during the latter half of the song, the singer showcases his true feelings on the matter, the truth is laid bare, and the calmness of this moment contrasts effectively with the language used and again with the drop back to the full throttle energy of the hook. It’s well written, and you’re likely to remember that hook simply for the unique concept, the title, and the power of the delivery.
As the song first begins to play it takes a moment to really appreciate the melody. That opening hook grabs you, without a doubt, offering the emotional core of the song and the leading vocalist’s passionate delivery. The verses, however, don’t necessarily sit as effectively among the instrumentation as the chorus does. The guitar part during the verses fills the gaps between lyrics really well, bringing about that punk-rock element; it’s not dissimilar to the riffs featured in certain rock and roll or indie rock releases from the nineties – a welcome touch of nostalgia.
The vocal melody is difficult to connect with, but it’s a brief moment and the hook is the thing that matters when it comes to drawing listeners in. Once involved, the artist presents a sense of identity that works well in this setting, and if you were to hear this played out and about, the strength of that key line is on point.
By Rebecca Cullen
Rebecca is a Musician and writer from Manchester, UK, with an MA in Song Writing
