It’s festival season so it’s time for another EDM theme day!
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[4.30]
Will Adams: Kygo gave Fire Stone to Generic Downtempo Ballad. What? Generic Downtempo Ballad is evolving! …Congratulations! Your Generic Downtempo Ballad evolved into Generic Uplifting House Track!
[4]
Scott Mildenhall: Conrad Sewell is no John Martin. John Martin, like every man trading on his act, is an everyman with everyman feelings, bellowing them like a man, at everyone. Often, it works. But Conrad Sewell is an emblem of a different path. The clue is again in the name: one that wouldn’t be out of place in Tatler, or a list of high-profile tax evaders. There’s the same profession of refinement to it as there is his and the song’s style, the suggestion being that neither producer or vocalist belong to some House Mafia, rather a House Gentry. Thing is, the truth is blatant. Barely concealed — “we light up the woooorrrld!” — are the same supermassive sentiments of the planet’s John Martins. And that will do just fine.
[6]
Dan MacRae: As heard on Now That’s What I Call Something I Will Passively Keep On While Doing The Dishes! Vol. 17.
[5]
Katherine St Asaph: There’s a big difference between uplifting big-tent nonsense and uplifting big-tent nonsense involving a term most commonly associated with car tires. There’s also a big difference between Conrad Sewell and good vocals.
[3]
Iain Mew: The vocals sound curiously distant, like even his heart isn’t in the dull material. I’d rather just listen to the instrumental, which is a nice balance between calming and invigorating.
[5]
Patrick St. Michel: Is this what the slow-dance song at an EDM prom sounds like?
[2]
Micha Cavaseno: Popcorn synths and the 4×4 kick to give this shitty ballad some “interesting” qualities.
[3]
Alfred Soto: Gumballs bouncing on the black keys. A vocalist listening to Ne-Yo records in the dark with a glass of wine and much leisure time. Step out of the way so I can listen to this thing, will you please?
[6]
Megan Harrington: On his own, Conrad Sewell sings all the one night stand songs that Sam Smith can’t stomach. He’s a tender, sensitive, soul cad and his delivery on “Firestone” doesn’t veer too far from that identity, except in its simple lyrics. Listening to Sewell try to find depth in a Kygo track I realized I would prefer this song at least 20% more if it was sung by Ellie Goulding or Foxes. Not only does their solo material hew closer to what Kygo’s attempting, they’re capable of being fun and dramatic at the same time. Instead we’re saddled with a line like “we light up the world” sung as if Sewell believes we really do.
[6]
Brad Shoup: I want to reward something so… languid’s not quite the wrong word. The singer’s slow, but he’s pushing against the tempo. The track keeps falling on him like a georgette net: tambourines crinkling, pianos creasing. If he weren’t emoting so hard I could fall asleep to this.
[3]