Patiently
Awaiting the Meteorite - Electrified
Some releases
you know are going to hit based on their opening single and Patiently Awaiting
the Meteorite is one of them. Their first single “Electrified” is a full on
minor pop masterpiece with solid musical fundamentals and retro touches
peppering the arrangement and comes complete with an accompanying music video
that’s striking along with a vocal performance from the Grand Brothers’
collaborator Dee that’s worth the price of purchase alone. The single comes
from the project’s first full length album release, soon to drop, Canyon Diablo
and this single alone makes it abundantly clear the threesome are intent on
carrying off something completely different with the modern pop song and its
possibilities. It’s nothing less than a rush to hear such talented performers
clearly capable of doing more with a song than merely hitting its marks and
giving audiences exactly what they expect and nothing more.
There’s a
real powerful and stomping quality to the song from the outset, but it’s never
mindlessly bashing away. The Grand Brothers employ a production style that
gives “Electrified” a nearly cinematic flair without ever overemphasizing the
qualities intended to draw listeners into its web. “Electrified” has a steady
pace and never rushes itself, but it keeps pressure on the listener for much of
the tune and refuses to let go of your attention once it seizes it early on.
The synthesizers, keyboards, and other instruments work rather well together
and the vocals are incorporated into the arrangement in such a way that they
seem part of the song rather than superimposed over the backing track. It’s
impressive how such technologically current music can, nonetheless, create such
a live feeling for listeners, wholly organic, and radiating warmth in every
area. Patiently Awaiting the Meteorite never sounds like a plotted out,
meticulously structured endeavor. Instead, the project sounds like a natural
fit for all of those involved and natural throughout.
Dee’s vocal
performance won’t strike anyone as being the typical singing performance some
might prefer, but the unusual qualities of his voice are tempered by a touch of
effects applied in post production and there’s just enough backing vocals from
a sweeter, more traditional female voice that balances out nicely against his
own tone. He handles the lyrics quite nicely – there’s a lot of confidence
coming through and, despite his relatively untraditional voice, Dee brings
ample musicality to what he does. The lyrics tell listeners, essentially, to
push onward with life and never let go of your moment – it’s a positive message
that gets through without any sentimentality or extra glossiness. Instead,
“Electrified” is a winning tune for both young and old, hardcore and casual
music fan alike – Patiently Awaiting the Meteorite have really hit upon a
winning formula with this song that they are certain to be duplicating many
times over on the project’s debut Canyon Diablo. Hopefully it’s the start of
something long term for this collaboration because they bring the goods like few
other pop projects today.
Craig Bowles
