Sule - Love Me
VIMEO: https://vimeo.com/208352403
You don’t hear songs like “Love Me” much anymore.
There’s no unnecessary bells and whistles with this tune masquerading its lack
of melody or merit, no hip language designed to capitalize on the zeitgeist of
the moment. Instead, Sule’s “Love Me” gets over with its intended audience for
all the classic reasons – there’s immense attention paid to melody, accessible
yet well worded lyrics, vocal excellence, and superb production virtues
defining the song, but the heart of it all is driven by a sincere and deeply
felt performance from Sule. To put it bluntly, he means every word. It comes
across without any pretense or apparent strain and further benefits from being
cut to an ideal length. “Love Me” is this Canadian performer’s finest
performance to date and poises him for a brighter future than ever before.
The swing aspect of the songwriting definitely sets
the performance apart from typical fare in this mold. Sule and his supporting
musicians never over-emphasize this element to the exclusion of others and
there’s an overall coherence to the piece that brings all of those components
together in a highly complementary manner. If Sule or the musicians have any
self-consciousness about pursuing a long-forgotten style for popular music, it
never shows. Instead, there’s an easy going nature surrounding this tune that comes
across from the first and never feels forced. Moreover, the recording has a
level of intimacy that sounds like the tune is specifically recorded for you
alone and Sule’s cool, finessed yet emotive vocal underscores that closeness
even more. This song is an ideal example of the possible results when musical
artists work closely together to produce an unified work of art and it will
likely win you over from the first hearing as it did me.
Make no mistake, however, that Sule’s singing is
the showcase moment of this performance. His voice has a wideness and vividness
thanks to his talent for incorporating a number of moods into its sound. It’s
satisfying on every level. There’s real sweetness, a little melancholy, and
even some soft pedaled sensuality that comes through in his performance and it
all springs from a blues/jazz foundation that’s a perfect fit for the Americana
tendencies of the songwriting. His upbringing in a very different nation
doesn’t have any detrimental effect on the piece – if anything, this outsider
point of view brings a fresh interpretation to this style that few of his
contemporaries can readily match. It’s obviously one of the more inviting and
personable singles to come down the pike in recent history and has a strong
performance at its center that promises to open a new chapter for Sule’s career
and life. “Love Me” will satisfy both longtime music fans, those who already
admire Sule’s considerable talents, and any newcomers willing to take a chance
on this fantastic track.
Laura Dodero
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