Illustration by Isaac Wert
Welcome to “Cut Through the Noise,” an entertainment column from the St. Louis Park Echo covering new music releases. Every week, a different Echo staffer takes on the role as writer, reviewing recent single releases from a variety of artists.
“hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have — but I have it” – Lana Del Rey ★★★★☆
Lana Del Rey’s newest single “hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have — but I have it,” is a continuation of her signature indie style. Del Rey’s practically naked vocals, along with a single piano part create an eerie vibe. The echoed vocals sung like they were recorded in an empty cathedral are absolutely goosebump-inducing and showcased completely by the stripped-down structure and instrumentals. The melody is heartbreakingly simple in its elegance. Del Rey’s lyrics revolving around her emotional turmoil are incredible and the entire track makes for a fantastic commentary on society. Though very laid back, the song still builds to a decent climax throughout. With the extremely personal lyrics, the very plain vocals, and the super simplistic backing, the entire track feels incredibly intimate.
“Let Me Cry” – Laura Marano ★★★☆☆
Laura Marano’s second single as an independent artist, “Let Me Cry” is an underwhelming breakup tune. In contrast, the lyrics paired with the floating melody are heart-wrenching and very personal making the track not a complete waste of time. Marano’s vocals are gorgeous and fit the heartbreak vibe to a tee. The lyrics are good, but they fall short of being true poetry. The piano and uncomplicated melody add to the tear-inducing poignancy. “Let Me Cry” is stripped pretty bare, and maybe that’s why it fails to build to anything during it’s three and a half minute run time. Though the song is pretty enjoyable, it’s pretty unoriginal and very passe, based on a breakup and using a fair amount of production for such a simplistic idea.
“Timebomb” – WALK THE MOON ★★★★☆
“Timebomb” by WALK THE MOON starts out strong with a great guitar riff. The second the vocals kick in the song begins to give off serious 2002 Maroon 5 vibes. The lyrics are well written though kind of plain. The track is very upbeat — a nice change of pace and mood from most songs lately. Though the song contains a fair amount of different elements, they all complement each other most of the time. A highlight of the track is the use of a vocoder — a machine that gives vocals a robotic tone, according to Roland — on the vocals in the bridge. The auxiliary percussion hits the spot including a bit where it imitates the sound of a ticking time bomb behind the vocals. With a fun melody and a buoyant air, “Timebomb” is perfect for singing along at the top of your lungs in the car.