It’s only a matter of time before the song infiltrates all aspects of modern life. It seems that mainstream popular culture has finally caught up with Black Francis’s iconic alt-snorkling classic about being chased through Caribbean waters by a tiny fish, the indie rock equivalent of being berated by Michael Gove. A few months ago a fellow Pixies-head sent me a link to ‘Blur’ by MØ, a song so shamelessly ‘Where Is My Mind?’ that it’s been declared a danger to nearby skyscrapers. “It’s ‘Where Is My Mind’!” he insisted, going on to insinuate that the writers wouldn’t even have been ‘inspired’ to steal the original Pixies track, but the wafty chillwave recreation of the song from that Galaxy advert where train carriages fill with birds, paintballs and Post-It notes in a manner even Southern Rail would find unacceptable. 8am, London City Airport, barred from the business lounges as my lowly standing as international jet set trash demands, an old friend from the Buddhist rehab monastery in Thailand (long story) sidled up and showed me a clip of Ellie Goulding’s 2018 track ‘Close To Me’ on his phone. When Goulding’s vocal chops take priority over the song’s production are the album’s highest peaks, ensuring her talent despite the general misstep of the record.Where is my mind? Everywhere, these days. It has moments of greatness, but the majority of its incompetence is a direct result of its lyrical base, production or mismatch of the two. The screaming is purely lyrical rather than audible.ĭelirium isn’t the album Ellie Goulding will be remembered for. “Scream It Out” only builds itself to an inferior version of Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song.” The commitment to the chorus is absent. It isn’t great, but maybe it will build into something stunning and truly worthy of a high-profile pop album. Just as I’m getting over the non-balladness of “Devotion,” the first chorus of album closer “Scream It Out” offers me hope. The instrumental intro gives hope, but almost immediately is layered under an - albeit not bad - sheath of synth, which is ultimately ruined by the cheap dance floor echoes at the end of the chorus.
The lyrical work is set up for a Christina Perri-esque ballad to remind everyone of Goulding’s raw talent. “Devotion” sounds like it should’ve been Delirium’s much-needed ballad. With two tracks remaining, it’s possible to see Goulding’s talent and sound come through with a strong finish. However, at this point, (I wrote about it 10 months ago) it feels like old news on a new album.
Goulding’s delivery hooks in listeners immediately, and it builds sonically and emotionally with each chorus and verse, ultimately leading to the explosion of the final chorus. “Love Me Like You Do,” as shown by its success, is a good pop song. It might just have people thinking about who their “Army” is. Delirium also hits its lyrical target in “Army.” At first listen, it isn’t anything special it still succumbs to exhausting repetition, but lyrically, it’s touching, idealistic and honest. The out of place delivery of the chorus’s first line is saved by the immediate change in pace. Goulding’s expert pacing isn’t as muddled with auto-tune, and it’s that minimalistic sound that entices listeners into the first verse and over the cliff of the chorus’s debut. While that content isn’t overwhelmingly interesting, at least it’s enough to actually warrant a complete song. Echoed moments where the auto tune diminishes leaving Goulding’s raw sound are a pleasure, but the random repetition of certain lines in verses distracts from the lyrical content. “Around U,” while mildly repetitive, has moments of clarity, that showcase Goulding’s talent. It’s auditory overload and a distraction in and of itself. The verses offer cohesive content through a fresh rhythm however, the chorus effectively consists of the phrase, “I don't need nobody, need nobody but you” manipulated and morphed through auto-tune, moving the sound between Goulding’s and maybe her angry alien counterpart. “Don’t Need Nobody” is the final song crippled in the name of repetition. Instead it regurgitates the same line with the same enthusiasm one would muster for a root canal. The chorus had potential - building with semi-consisted rhyming of “night,” “fight,” “ignite” and “light,” it sets itself up for a booming Calvin Harris-esque bass drop. In its final verse, the track goes as far as to repeat its title 15 times. “Holding On For Life” follows the same pattern.
0 kommentar(er)
