Saturday, August 16, 2014

Jessie Ware - Testing Your Preferences

     Some songs lend themselves well to allowing listeners to get a better understanding of their musical preferences or to gain confidence in the accuracy of their current understandings. Jessie Ware’s “Say You Love Me” is one of those songs. Even though it doesn’t change genres as the song progresses, it includes the type of variations that allow the listener to reflect upon featured elements. It is often minimalistic, so the variations stand out.
     Here is our self-analysis:
     1. At the outset, the vocals are supported by guitars, but the mixing emphasizes the percussion more than the guitars. Indie Obsessive prefers the traditional percussive sounds. Electronics are fine, and actually add to the attractiveness of some songs. But listening to the first portion of “Say You Love Me” has us wondering how much more we would enjoy the song if an old-school drum set were used. Ya know, one that doesn’t require an electrical cord extending from it.
     2. At around the 2:37 mark, the song starts a crescendo. At 2:53, the intensity undergoes a second acceleration. Self-analysis: Indie Obsessive loves energy surges. That’s not likely to ever change.
     3. At 3:09, a choir enters. We have heard others assert that using a choir is a low-effort means for re-engaging listeners. Self-analysis: If use of a choir is a means of manipulating us, Indie obsessive doesn’t care. We enjoy choir-infused Indie.
     4. Finally, at 3:58, everything else falls to the wayside and Ware’s voice carries the song home. Unlike earlier portions, it is the sound of one voice and it is just an acoustic guitar. Self-analysis: Indie Obsessive agrees that for this song, with its message, the down tempo departure was well selected.

     “Say You Love Me” by Jesse Ware

No comments:

Post a Comment