Tim: Have this, the lead single off the Jar of Hearts hitmaker’s second album.
Tom: Blimey, “the Jar of Hearts hitmaker”? Have you been taking cliché classes from the NME?
Tim: Breathtaking, I think is the word you’re looking for. The one specific thing that stuck out at me throughout this: the echo.
Tom: “Reverb” is the technical term. Almost always a digital effect these days.
Tim: I don’t think I’ve ever noticed a singer’s voice properly echoing before – I don’t know if it’s something that just never been done or if it’s particularly audible here, with the massive voice and tiny backing, but I quite like it.
Tom: It’s used everywhere, because it adds depth and warmth to vocals that might otherwise seem clinical. You’re noticing it here because the track is mixed to emphasise the vocal far more than most pop music is.
Tim: I’ll confess I was initially disappointed by that build to the first chorus because no track should really be allowed to do that and then just stop, unless – UNLESS – it’s there solely to draw attention to a fantastic and flawless vocal. Oh, look what it did. WONDERFUL.