Saturday Flashback: Birdy + Rhodes – Let It All Go

“It did take a while for me to get it, mind.”

Tim: She’s Birdy, he’s Rhodes, they’re both British and we’re featuring it because I’ve had the lyrics up as one of the 60+ tabs on my iPhone’s web browser for somewhere between nine and twelve months.

Tom: How is that possible? Are… are you OK?

Tim: I’m trying to cut down, but I figured I probably saved them for a reason.

Tim: So, I’ve no memory of hearing this track before, but I’m quite glad I kept it. It did take a while for me to get it, mind, because it did what so many of a good but quiet tracks do: bore me slightly so I lose focus, then pick up in time for the second chorus and make me think ‘ooh, what’s happening here?’

Tom: Ha! Exactly the same. In my case, I was distracted by trying to work out what the visual effects artists did to the footage — how much of that pink is grading, is it filmed day-for-night, is there any… and there goes the chorus.

Tim: And I know that’s not really what I typically want from a track, but I think it does mean it’s good at being the song it wants to be: a quiet one that develops, slightly morose but nevertheless worth sticking with, just for the good bits. And that’ll do for me, when I’m in the right mood.

Sigma feat. Birdy – Find Me

“It’s solid Sigma.”

Tim: The anonymous person who sent this is said the chorus sounded like a news theme tune…

Tim: …and weirdly it does have elements of the current BBC one – the rolling strings, the important but not overpowering drum beat, and even the melody itself isn’t far out.

Tom: As someone who normally notices things like that: I don’t hear the similarity. It reminds me more of Emeli Sande’s Heaven.

Tim: Hmm, yes, that’s not far off either. As for the rest of it: it’s solid Sigma – good dance beat, good featured vocalist, good lack of tropical vibes.

Tom: And a great video: playing with framerates and timelapse like that is always a good trick, and finding someone who can emote for that length of time in close up isn’t easy.

Tim: All in all, pretty good.