“A good approximation of a CHVRCHES song in style, and I have no problems at all with that.”
Tom: After yesterday, when we talked about the Weeknd’s style, I’ve started noticing that boots-and-cats synth-percussion drumbeat everywhere, as if someone reset the pop industry’s synthesisers back to “80s default”. Is that just me being more aware of it, or has this suddenly come back into fashion?
Tom: The trouble is, it’s also all I can remember from this track.
Tim: Hmm. Bit harsh, I’d say, as there’s a decent chorus in there, and I’d be almost certain there’s a bit of confirmation bias going on there, or at least pulling of focus. This is, to me, a good approximation of a CHVRCHES song in style, and I have no problems at all with that.
Tom: There’s nothing wrong with it! It’s a reasonable pop song. The chorus melody, now I listen back to it, is really decent. But I was distracted by trying to work out which balcony in Kings Cross she’s filming on, and honestly, that’s not a great sign, is it?
Tim: No, admittedly that isn’t. Mind you, Dagny’s the sort of artist where every time I see the name I think “surely they should be getting big over here right now”, so hopefully that won’t be too long.
“You thought Beyoncé hit some high notes in Love On Top, you ain’t heard nothing yet.”
Tim: Here’s one that Australia didn’t have a huge amount of time for; I think that was a mistake.
Tim: SO, first chorus, I’m thinking this is missing something. I don’t know what it is, but there’s something that’s not quite there.
Tom: Yep, that’s what I was going to say. It’s Eurovision: I shouldn’t be drifting away to another tab on that first chorus.
Tim: It’s okay, it’s fine, should qualify to the final. From then until the final chorus, I’m still okay with it – it’ll manage, it’s fine.
Tom: Right! Good voice, half-decent composition.
Tim: But then BLIMEY, you thought Beyoncé hit some high notes in Love On Top, you ain’t heard nothing yet.
Tom: That is an astonishing whistle register. And as Eurovision gimmicks go, “astonishing high notes performed live” is pretty decent. She elevates an okay-ish track to “huh, yeah, I remember that”.
Tim: And that moment there, that single moment, would have single handedly made it one of the best clips of the night for the interminable recaps. It doesn’t matter that the rest of it is just above average – it matters that that final bit is utterly and inordinately ridiculous.
Tom: But I don’t think anyone would have voted for it based on that recap. Because that recap wouldn’t remind you “oh, yeah, that was the song I really liked”: it’d remind you “that was the woman who hit the piercing high note”. And I don’t think people would vote for just the high note.
“We’ve got a decent dance routine to go with it so the important stuff’s there.”
Tim: Tom, you’ve always had time for country music, right?
Tom: Yep. And I maintain that country music — by which I mean modern pop-country, the sort of thing you get on US radio stations — is pretty much just schlager with different instruments. Of course, when a European band tries to imitate that…
Tim: Now, admittedly, this is about as country as 5, 6, 7, 8 but the intentions were good so I think that counts, and we’ve got a decent dance routine to go with it so the important stuff’s there.
Tom: Good intentions and a dance routine. That is basically every basic Europop act, isn’t it?
Tim: I’d say minimum requirements, certainly. I don’t know what my favourite part about the ‘yes, we’re honestly playing the instruments’ video is – it’s definitely her with the banjo, but it’s 50-50 between just after a minute where she decisively stops playing while the music carries on, or around two minutes where she’s playing but there’s nothing in the music.
Tom: Or the fact that the drummer is almost always covered by someone else while playing, or else cut away from so fast that it’s extremely difficult to tell if anything’s being hit remotely correctly. Maybe she can drum! But, uh, I’m not convinced.
Tim: Either way, it’s a cracker of a track, cracker of a video, and when lockdown’s over I’d like to arrange a street party where we all do that dance, please.
“Orchestral Galantis sounds like a wonderful idea.”
Tim: No lockdown in Sweden, so Galantis have got themselves a 15-piece orchestra for this one – apparently they’ve got other music ready to go, but this one felt right for the time.
Tom: Huh. Orchestral Galantis sounds like a wonderful idea.
Tim: “I wanted to release something different. Some people said: ‘Everyone wants to be happy,’ but I thought: ‘I need to feel it. I don’t want a big drop right now,'” said Christian, to Popjustice last week.
Tom: I mean, it’s uncomfortably reminiscent of Clean Bandit — that is not a compliment, I am not a Clean Bandit fan — but it’s interesting to see that “sudden appearance of an orchestra” still sorta-qualifies as a drop.
Tim: And yeah, I like that, because to be honest I don’t want a big drop right now either – to get briefly personal, the one time I’ve felt properly down during this whole thing was when guys from work wanted suggestions for a workout playlist and I listened to a load of dance music to find stuff, and it turns out I really do miss going out to bars and clubs and having fun. The titular lake is allegedly a metaphor for that – it’s for whatever we’re looking forward to, getting out, hanging out, doing whatever, though that kind of brings the question: with these lyrics, is the timing really right for this? Shouldn’t it maybe have been held back until there is a house on the lake? I don’t know, maybe it’s just there as a dream, as something to look forward to, to feel wistful about. I’ll take the music, though. The music’s nice.
Tom: It is! I don’t think the birdsong works in there — it’s just a bit too twee. But then, I tend to disparage basically any sound effect in a song, so perhaps I’m just too easily distracted. As a nice, calm Galantis track: yes, I’m glad to see that combining dance music with an orchestra still works.
Tim: It does. And incidentally, if you’re in the market for a Galantis face mask, one can be yours for just £15 plus £2.90 shipping to the UK, which actually works out a bargain compared to Alan Walker – his are a bit cheaper, but he’ll charge you over a tenner for shipping. Disgraceful.
“It really all does hang on that chorus working, doesn’t it?”
Tim: Nice one for you here from Sweden to start your week off; nothing to say about it in advance really, except: press play.
Tom: Huh. Starts slow, doesn’t it?
Tim: It does, yes, and so much so that I was a bit disappointed after that first chorus ended, a distinct sense of ‘is that it, are we back to the dull verse already?’, but no, of course we’re not. The second verse is bigger and bolder than the first, the second chorus lasts a decent amount of time, in for a middle eight, back out for a brief chorus and then that absolutely lovely closing instrumental section.
Tom: It really all does hang on that chorus working, doesn’t it? And I can see how a melody like that could grate. I’m not as convinced about the chorus as you seem to be, but sure, it’ll do.
Tim: Good, and that was pretty much my thought after I first heard it. It took me a couple of goes to get this – but then, since the chorus got stuck in my head immediately, I didn’t really care.
Tom: And for once, the aesthetic of the music video fits that: it does sound like the sort of melody and vocal timbre that would fit well in the 70s.
Tim: Yep, and despite all that sounding like a modern song as well. Yes, I stand my my ‘dull first verse’ assessment, but boy does that last closing section make up for it.
“The first time round it’s okay, as you’re dumbstruck by the outfits and are wondering why they’re re-enacting Batman Forever.”
Tim: We didn’t much rate Serbia’s entry; basically a Little Mix style track with none of the charm or catchiness. This one came third in their competition, liked by the jury but not so much the voters. And to be honest, I’m surprised it was that way round.
Tim: See, the choruses here are fine – nothing that’ll set the roof on fire, but probably enough to get you through to the finals. The verses, though: mate, there’s just nothing. The first time round it’s okay, as you’re dumbstruck by the outfits and are wondering why they’re re-enacting Batman Forever.
Tom: Well done to the costume designer, though: UV clothes are an old trick, but they’re done very well here. I wonder if part of the lack of appeal here is that you can’t really see his face? It’s difficult to connect with the performer when they are, essentially, wearing a mask. And the disappearing act at the end won’t help either.
Tim: The chorus is, like I said, an okay dance bit, so everything’s good until the end of that. Come the second verse, though, we’re good with the outfits, but in the music there’s just…nothing. It’s really, really dull, and I don’t quite understand who could have thought that was a good idea.
Tom: I mean, it’s every mainstream dance track from about five years ago, isn’t it?
Tim: Ooh, get you bitching. Like I said, though, I find it weird the way the points landed – it was very popular with the juries, who I’d assume wouldn’t care much about the costume and notice both verses, and not at all popular with the viewers, who I’d assume would vote for it just because of the costumes. That’s no criticism, mind, as I probably would have done – so I’m just a tad mystified. By everything here, if I’m honest.
“Now I think about it, I’m not really sure what the purpose of music videos in general is.”
Tom: We were talking about lockdown music videos yesterday, and, uh, well, I bet this video seemed like a much better idea a few months ago.
Tom: Expensive, time-consuming lyric videos do seem to be the norm now — which kind of defeats the original purpose of them, really — but at least they’re not, I don’t know, spinning some unfortunate mythos about a virus destroying humanity. Has Alan Walker done that yet? I’ve forgotten how all his mythos works.
Tim: Well, his most recent one was from a meteor strike; before that we had a solar flare, I think? And maybe it’s just that lyric videos are taking over from regular videos entirely. Now I think about it, I’m not really sure what the purpose of music videos in general is, though if they’re there to give us something to watch and pay attention to the music, lyric videos are arguably batter than Alan’s world-ending cults.
Tom: As for the music, well, it’s generic Tiësto, isn’t it?
Tim: See, you say it’s generic Tiësto, and sure, it is, but it also comes across to me as just generic dance. I don’t know if it’s because Tiësto doesn’t have a unique sound, but to me this just sounds like a Becky Hill track. Not a bad thing – but a bit less than what I’d expect from a name as big as Tiësto.
Tom: I think it’s notable that, for both today and yesterday, we’re talking a lot more about the video than the music. Is that because we’ve picked dull tracks, or is it because there’s just less interesting stuff coming out? And I wonder how much production on new pop has been paused, and how much is continuing in home studios?
Tim: I was wondering that the other day, and to be honest I’d imagine it’s much less affected than film and TV – writing tracks can just about be done over video chat, and while it’d be hard for proper instruments to be recorded at home, vocals shouldn’t present too much of a problem, that can then be sent to be cleaned up by a producer and then placed on top of fake drums and guitars, or just your standard synth beats. If you want a good example of what can be done, I recommend Radio 1’s Stay Home Live Lounge from yesterday, all recorded at artists’ homes and sounding amazing.
Tom: Well, I guess we should talk about this. Two artists with very different styles. Well, very different styles for modern pop music, at least.
Tom: I was originally going to say “that’s strange”, but then I realised I couldn’t back the statement up. While my gut reaction was that it seemed like it had a weird song structure, or weird duet structure, it just doesn’t. Sam’s verse and chorus; Demi’s verse and chorus with a bit from Sam; middle eight; big joint abbreviated final verse-and-chorus with a gospel choir. It’s a by-the-numbers traditional pop duet structure. So why does it feel like it’s odd?
Tim: Best guess: the genre shift. Sam’s is standard nice pop, largely unobjectionable, but when Demi comes along for her verse the backing changes significantly: it becomes a lot harsher, and even the underlying beat almost drops into two-step, giving an impression of a middle eight coming significantly earlier than in should do. The chorus comes along sounding nice, then we get an actual middle eight that’s itself chopped in two – part of it lovely and part of it harsh, and then we go into a full melodic and lovely closing chorus.
Tom: At least they actually shot the music video together, though.
“Hang around on the playlists for a month or so and then fade into the background, to be revisited every now and then.”
Tom: I have never heard a more obvious “chuck a millennial whoop in the background” than this track.
Tom: It doesn’t help that those few notes sounds like it’s sampled from Katy Perry’s California Girls, really — it’s pretty the only thing I could remember about this after one listen.
Tim: Ah, see I went for Owl City and Carley Rae Jepsen with the chorus, but, yeah, guess it shows how dam ubiquitous that’s become.
Tom: There’s some lovely vocal work in here, of course, and there’s nothing wrong with the song. (Of course there’s nothing wrong with it; it’s a Kelly Clarkson track, she’s enough of a star she’s only going to released polished stuff.)
Tim: It is, and I mean this in no bad way whatsoever, a typical Kelly Clarkson track.
Tom: Maybe it’s cynically designed for radio airplay: this is the sort of track that will do very well on several genres of hit-radio stations in the US, particularly given the message right now.
Tim: Yep – hang around on the playlists for a month or so and then fade into the background, to be revisited every now and then.
Tom: But I can’t see this being an all-time classic.
“It just builds and builds and builds all the way until it shows that sometimes, democracy just isn’t the right solution.”
Tim: We had a run through of all of what would have been this year’s Eurovision entries last week, rating them out of 100, and if you recall, Tom, Ukraine’s was the only song of the lot that got single figures from all of us, what with it being (a) flute-based EDM with a howling vocalist and (b) not even interesting flute-based EDM with a howling vocalist.
Tom: Genuinely baffling.
Tim: What’s truly mystifying is that the voting public had the opportunity to choose this instead, and didn’t.
Tom: I was going to mock you here, Tim, and assume that you were sending it to me purely because of Well-Built Man With Shiny Hair. At least, I was for the first minute.
Tim: Well, yes, that would’t have been too unfair, as until 1:20, it’s possible it could be dismissed as a dull Eurovision ballad, and God knows that yes, there are enough of those that it might blend into the background; even what sounds like the chorus is a bit dull.
Tom: It was going to be the Eurovision of Dull Ballads, wasn’t it?
Tim: Given last year’s tedious victor, there was a risk, but oh boy is this not tedious. Because at that point, the proper chorus arrives, and we’ve actually got something, and he really shows off his voice towards the end of it. And then, even though we’ve only one verse and chorus, a sort of middle eight arrives, and OH MY DAYS with the smoke, and the backing singers, and is that a key change we have there as well? OH it’s just MARVELLOUS.
Tom: Full marks for him continuing to sing through what I’m fairly sure is a CO₂ blast to the face, as well. You’re right about all of that: it’s certainly better than what they sent. Not a winner, I’d guess, and it might well suffer from what got John Lundvik last time — the juries would like it, but the public would think it’s passé.
Tim: Oh, but it just so isn’t – it’s almost novel, differing from being a standard builder because it doesn’t have a second verse where it has to dip down a bit. Instead it just builds and builds and builds all the way until it shows that sometimes, democracy just isn’t the right solution.
Tom: Odd that he seemed to waver on that very last note — was that a technical decision, I wonder, or did he just miss it?
