Offscreen: Kumra about to burst into tears.
[Video][http://www.wretch32.com/ “>Website]
[5.56]
[6]
Edward Okulicz: It helps to be susceptible to sentimentality and shameless molestation of the heartstrings, but I find Kumra’s plaintive chorus to be affecting and effective. Then again, I liked “Dry Your Eyes” the first fifty times too, and times have changed but I haven’t. The verses spoil the believable fondness and clumsy phone sex, but the clangers don’t stay in the mind too long before “Don’t go! Please stay!” renders all my resistance futile.
[8]
Ian Mathers: “Losing you’s one of my fears/but I ain’t selfish, I’ll share if I have to.” Well, that’s interesting. (Not to mention “Phone in my hand while I listen to you moan/and everybody in the car wants to try and get involved,” which, what?) Wretch has his share of braggadocio here, but this is maybe the first track of its kind we’ve reviewed where the leaving actually seems like a possibility and not complainabragging. Everything about the song except for Wretch (Kumra, the female vocal sample, the keyboards) just kind of floats, which makes for a nice contrast with his rather clipped tones, and the whole thing winds up being more interesting than most of the competition, if still a little underwhelming.
[7]
Iain Mew: A surprisingly low-key song in which Wretch 32 has fallen seriously in love and tries to stay calm and cool but is eventually upset enough to break the law (albeit by driving round with mobile in hand), drop the façade, and start pleading. The Josh Kumra bits are more insistent than incredible, but they work with it well and new great Wretch lines jump out every time of hearing, like “I could breathe and have a flow” or the dark days/light years bit where he (unintentionally?) conjures Super Furry Animals.
[7]
Michaela Drapes: I think that every song going forward should be a whiny rapper begging a woman to stay, wrapped around a limp dick faux Ryan Tedder hook crooned by a guy with a questionable haircut! Whatever Wretch 32 did, it must have been terrible; FYI, dude, if you’re begging this hard, she’s already checked out and will not be returning.
[0]
Alfred Soto: Forget the miserabilist sentiments. Concentrate on that backing track: looped breathy female vocals and what sounds like a burbling flute, which conjures the Mystique of the Eternal Feminine with a clarity missing from this son of “Novacane.”
[7]
Zach Lyon: This has quite a bit going for it. The guest chorus actually fits the song snugly and is sung well enough, more Kanye ft. Adam Levine than Far East Movement ft. Ryan Tedder; it’s got that DRUM which sounds great in car speakers, which is the best setting for this; Wretch is serviceable, occasionally throwing in great, weird lines (“Lovedrunk you and I will die sober”) despite the trite subject matter; and that vocal sample matches every other level of the song with perfection.
[8]
Katherine St Asaph: “A song like this has been overdue,” whimpers Wretch at about 32% voice. He’s probably right. When you’re over deadline, you settle for mediocrities: hook guys who mewl and sub-hook girls who keen over a beat that deserves proper time spent.
[3]
Jonathan Bogart: I thought we were done with the rash of rappers putting Coldplay-sounding motherfuckers on their choruses. I was sure I signed that petition.
[4]