Ne-Yo - 'Because Of You'
Before we get into the song proper, can I just say I like how the video to this begins like it was an advert for perfume. I like it because those perfume ads where everyone whispers (because what they have to say is a bit too daft to be heard at any real volume) always make me smile. It's like the manufacturers are trying to limit the appeal of their product to pretentious, over-serious art-bores. No wonder Lynx sells as well as it does.
AAAANYWAY...the new single by Ne-Yo. It's nice, innit? Nice synth-harp. Nice chunter-guitar. Beautiful silky-smooth vocal action. Nice soft pillow harmonies. And for a relatively slow jam, this lifts and swoops in a manner that bird-watchers would describe as 'delightful'.
In fact, the only slight fly in the ointment is the relentless disco beat, which sounds for all the world like someone left their drum machine on while the song was being recorded, and they just lined all the instruments up with it, rather than switching it off.
Seriously, once you've noticed it just ticking away like a hip hop clock, it kind of spoils the highs and lows, if only because you want the drum machine to sit up and take notice of all the nice stuff going on around it, and damn well react accordingly, y'know, stop once in a while, maybe a slight variation in rhythm from time to time...I'm not asking for the Earth here, people...
Anyway, that's why it's not a four-star song. Damn you, Mr Bontempi!
Download: Out now
CD Released: April 16th
(Fraser McAlpine)
Comments
And in pointing out the drum you have drawn everyone's attention to it and so SPOILT THE SONG! :P
If you want to ignore a drum beat like that then tapping the beat out makes it no less obvious but certainly less in your face.
I still like So Sick better though. Almost makes me wanna date someone so that I can break up with them and listen to it properly again :P
[Gotta love that 'almost'. BACK IN YOUR BOX, BOYS! ;-) - Fraser]