The instrumentation on this track seems quite far removed from the leading vocal part, though in themselves the instrumental moments seem quite separate from each other as well. There are occasions when the guitar riff drives the sound in a fairly atmospheric and even James Bond-esque manner, soon evolving into something more bass-driven, occasionally feeling like stylish indie rock with a modern twist. The ongoing beat, however, has a hip-hop or trip-hop vibe to it, no longer feeding into that organic live sound but creating an electronically sourced sense of rhythm. It’s all pretty creative, though it’s a tad difficult to get into the vibe or underlying energy of it all due to the changing soundscape, and also due to the lyrics.
In terms of songwriting the track comes through as much more of a freestyle than a carefully gathered or poetic expression of ideas. The artist’s inherent disapproval and even anger comes through as a very personal presentation of disdain, not necessarily striking as widely accessible or appealing, more of a specific attack relating to his own direct view of the world. Having said that, there’s an audience for every idea, and the sound has a lot of angst that many people may relate to.
The creative mix of the music is definitely the highlight, and there’s a certain tone to the artist’s voice that soon becomes familiar. There are particular lines that are repeated throughout the release that reinforce the song’s hook and key concept, so structurally there’s an awareness of how to keep things moving yet relevant. The voice is a little reminiscent of the one featured on ‘Dare’ by the Gorillaz, giving off a very real, perhaps stream of consciousness style aura, as stated earlier in relation to the concept of a freestyle performance.
By Rebecca Cullen
Rebecca is a Musician and writer from Manchester, UK, with an MA in Song Writing
