Headphones: Romare Is Going Against The Grain
Album of the Week
Romare
Fantasy by Romare: Romare does not want to fit the status quo. He wants to expose his audience to new things and expand his comfort zone within the music. Within his music, he is not afraid to show that he is a work in progress. His album, “Fantasy,” is no exception to this. Although it is evident that he takes his time with his music, he does not try to make anything perfect. His build-ups are highly articulate. The album is moody, with tracks that embody many different tones.
It starts relatively slowly, and Romare makes sure to warm up the listener. He starts it off on an exciting note with the track “Quiet Corners Of My Mind.” It is calming and dark and is the perfect introductory track to this album. Although this song differs from others, it is not in the most obvious way. The track relies on repetition and layering. Because of this, it feels as though the run-time of the song could have been much shorter. This still does not take away from the fact that the production is very well done. Although he incorporates many different sounds into this track, they all have their place. The drum line is standard, something that anybody can listen to. Although a lot is happening in this track, a sense of familiarity comes with certain aspects of the production.
The following track, “Priestess,” takes an entirely different turn from the calmness of the introduction track. It is an articulate yet strange track. The way Romare incorporates samples into this track is excellent, but there should have been more. A lot is going on in this track, and it can sometimes get overwhelming. Romare tried his best to level this track as well as he could, but it could have used some improvement. More than anything, this track seems like an acquired taste. This track may be highly overwhelming for some, while others may enjoy it a lot.
Romare was able to showcase his ability as a producer by experimenting with genres and tones of music. “Walking In The Rain” provides a moment of calmness during the album. Romare also uses more traditional sounds heard in popular music to compose this song. He uses samples in this song that are light and airy and act as a chorus. There is not too much happening in this song, and it is easy to listen to. “The Fool” is another song that provides a moment of refreshment in the album. It is the outro track and is very well made. This song has more elements of jazz and alternative to it. It is arranged nicely and assumes the structure of mainstream music with a verse and a chorus. However, he only uses it for the first part of the track. Although there is no need to stick to the structure of mainstream music, it would be good for Romare to show off his skills when incorporating samples. Although the track does not become boring, it would still be nice to have a melody there as it gives the instrumental some momentum. It is the perfect outro to the album, however.
Single Of The Week
"Sorry To Me Too" by Julia Michaels: For years, Julia Michaels has been regarded as one of the world's best modern-day singer/songwriters. Her words launched her into fame that she can never turn back from. She has had the opportunity to write many songs for big names in the industry and writes her music. Michaels has set a very high bar for herself. So, has she been able to outdo herself? A lot goes into being a well-rounded singer/songwriter, and Michaels knows this. Not only does she think about her words, but she also makes sure that they fit into the composition of the song perfectly. There will often be melody lines and sections that sound out of place in some tracks. This is different here. Michaels also gets creative with the vocal production and uses vocal chops and ad-libs to give the vocals more depth.
Michaels also shows off her incredible vocal abilities in this track. Her vocal range is extensive, and her technique is excellent. She knows how to use her voice. She takes her time with her songs, ensuring she gets the delivery right. There is a lot of emotion behind her voice, and she clearly delivers her vocals. Her control is impressive, as most of the melody and harmony lines are fast paced. Michaels perfectly crafted her vocal composition and harmony lines with the top line. Michaels does not try to mask the top line and lets her raw vocal talent shine.
The song is also catchy and has a consistent structure to it. The verses and chorus are of typical length, but there is a third verse and chorus, so the song is longer than it needs to be. This repetition does make the song a bit redundant, and Michaels could have omitted a verse. Although this style of pop is making a comeback lately, it is still important to remember that lengthy and repetitive songs are things of the past. Keeping the audience engaged and staying in touch with what the listeners want is essential.
The production of the song is fantastic as well. Ian Kirkpatrick produced the track and took this song in the right direction. The track is high-speed, and with this top line, one would be more inclined to make the instrumental softer. There are airy synthesizers, which add a nice contrast to the song's drum line. Although it is different than what is typical in pop music, the drum line is very nice. It is simple, just fast. The way it is mixed makes it fit into the song. There are many elements to the drumline, specifically within the percussions. But they are soft and are just there to provide some depth to the drums. The vocal mixing is also lovely, and the layers of vocals fit perfectly. The vocals of the chorus are particularly captivating, as they are doubled, which spreads the vocals out a little more.
Overall, it is a good and catchy song. Although Michaels can tweak it a little bit to fit the public taste better, one cannot help but appreciate that Michaels is sticking true to her vision as a songwriter. As an artist, she always tries to push her boundaries in songwriting. So, although this may not be the most commercial hit, it can still be identified as a great piece within her discography.
Music Video Of The Week
"Winter Solstice" by Phoenix: Music videos are often a hit or miss. Their purpose is to provide a visualizer for the given music, and sometimes it can be hard to devise a vision that can do the song justice. It is good to stand out from the crowd when it comes to art, but many artists forget that simplicity is the way to go. "Winter Solstice" by Phoenix is a fantastic song. The production of it is simple yet effective, and the writing has a lot of meaning. One would think that the video accompanying this song would be vibrant. Contrary to this expectation, Phoenix took its vision in a different route.
Instead of focusing on over-the-top visuals, they concentrate on emoting the authentic feel of the song itself. So, that is where simplicity comes from. The black and white visuals add to the darkness of the songwriting. The build-up of the video goes very well with the song as well. Although it never changes color, a sense of euphoria and happiness comes from watching the video. The stagnancy in this video tells their audience that Phoenix is focused on showing off its musical skills rather than video production.
The imagery of eyes comes up in this video a lot. The glow of the eyes underneath the black and white represents opening them to the darkness around us. Although the world can be dark, there is no need to dim your light. It also represents finding yourself and how solace is a means to do so. After all, the lead vocalist is the only one performing in this video. There is also imagery of grounding yourself. After the second chorus, the lead singer is seen jumping off of the cliff. This can be seen as letting go and opening yourself up to the changes that come with going through dark times.
Overall, this video is excellent, and there should be more like it. The sheer simplicity of this video gives a lot to think about, even though viewers may not think so at first. Phoenix has been in the industry for quite some time, yet they are constantly releasing music that impacts their listeners like never before. This video is an excellent representation of Phoenix's vision and where they are going. Even though they are seasoned in the industry, they will continue to thrive.
