First-Listen Feedback – 19th May 2017
Strip That Down – Liam Payne Feat. Quavo
As soon as you hear the chorus of Ex-Directioner Liam’s new song, it’s distinguishable as an Ed Sheeran tune and Liam holds his own to deliver a likable debut as a solo artist. The song is led by a solid bass line and a constant finger-clicking rhythm keeper throughout the song. The lyrics are surprisingly honest, with lines such as “I used to be in 1D/Now I’m not Free” causing the listener to feel a slight bit of pity for the multi-millionaire 24-year-old. The song tells the exploits of Liam and a girl and his attempts to seduce her, described in a very sultry manner. The verse from Quavo, a member of Migos, adds very little to the song, with most his bars referencing previous Migos songs. Overall, compared to previous One Direction solo material, this doesn’t rank as the worst (Sorry Louis). 7/10May I Have This Dance (Remix) – Francis and The Lights Feat. Chance The Rapper
Once I say this you’ll never be able to hear this song in the same way again – It sounds like a Phil Collins song draped lavishly in synth. The song begins with a tribal-esque rhythm, a rhythm which continues through the verses. The song is somewhat difficult to fully understand, but the main gist is that this is Francis and The Lights (a resurgent Kanye West and Bon Iver collaborator) professing his love for a female (Surprise Surprise) but with lines such as “Let Me Stand Inside You” it’s difficult to fully comprehend. Chance The Rapper makes an appearance about three quarters of the way through the song and delivers a joyous verse that sweetly describes the love he has for his daughter. On a whole however, this song, despite being well produced and well-written, is also well-forgotten after a moment. 6/10Hook, Line and Sinker – Royal Blood
As an old Royal Blood fan, this is exactly what you’d expect from the pair and exactly what the fans want. The song (a single from their highly anticipated Sophomore LP) starts loud and heavy, with the stomping drum beat and the heavily distorted bass guitar taking control straight from the off. This is a welcome return to instrument-driven music and hopefully will aid somewhat of a resurgence of the lost art of rock. As is typical in this series the song tells the story of singer Ben’s adoration for a girl he’s just met. This single signifies a great return to form for the duo and will keep listeners on edgy to hear new material. 8/10Read last week's 'First-Listen Feedback' here. Follow Cailean on Twitter, @Caileanface