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 of writer, reviewing recent single releases from a variety of artists.
Tate Mcrae — ‘Exes’ ★★★★☆
The quickly rising pop star Tate Mcrae’s singing started getting attention when she was only 13 years old. As she’s grown up with her career, her music has gotten more mature and reached a greater audience. This is clearly demonstrated through her new release of the song “Exes.” As much as it is a catchy song with an upbeat rhythm, it clearly means much more than that to her. Mcrae shows her emotional vulnerability and powerful comeback against her past relationships. The addictive chorus, “Kisses to my exes who don’t give a s*** about me kisses, kisses, to the next ones who think they can live without me” tends to distract the listener from the effect of the words. Specifically, she balances the repetitive lyrics with an undeniably captivating melody. Aside from her singing talents, Mcrae also has been pursuing her acting as well as dancing through her music videos. Specifically in her “Exes” music video she shows off her difficult and complex dance moves. Overall, I’d give the song four out of five stars, out of admiration for her consistency in style. However, I would love to see her be a bit more bold and try moving out of her musical comfort zone. Nonetheless, the anticipated wait of this release held my attention, and she gave nothing less than what her fans could’ve asked for.
Tim McGraw — ‘Runnin’ Outta Love’ ★★★☆☆
Tim McGraw is not an unknown name to the music industry. He has been singing his classic country melodies since his first released number one single in 1989. His new single “Runnin’ Outta Love” is exactly what you’d expect from him. This is a heartfelt song about his experiences with love. However, the lyrical rhymes were a bit confusing and difficult to follow throughout. This is specifically because of his use of close rhymes. For example this verse, “It ain’t gonna happen, never gonna stop. It’s everlasting’, girl, what we got.” This verse rhymes stop with got which is not an exact rhyme which I think can draw the listeners attention to a place where it shouldn’t be. The instrumentals within it don’t appear too unfamiliar to his fans, as they seem to mimic some of his previous songs. As for the meaning of this piece, it captures the concept that love is infinite. “Runnin’ Outta Love” is repetitive, much like a good amount of McGraw’s songs. This one in specific however feels monotonous and interest can easily be lost early on. The lyrics in “Runnin’ Outta Love” are lighthearted and you can’t argue it stays in your head long after you hear it. I’d give this song three out of five stars. I’d like to see McGraw branch out and find more complex ideas and emotions to base his songs after, and maybe bring some of his more reserved emotions and opinions to the table. Overall, because of his use of “lazy rhymes” which are words that sound similar but don’t have an identical sound, he loses the appeal and riveting feeling music can bring. Equally important, McGraw does have no hesitation singing about his personal life and beliefs which he brings into this song, which I think has an even more dominant effect on the listener.
Boygenius feat. Ye Vagabonds — ‘The Parting Glass’ ★★★★☆
Boygenius and Ye Vagabond recently did a cover of a traditional ballad in Ireland titled “The Parting Glass.” The song begins with an out of tune unpleasant sounding violin as it slowly blends into Phoebe Bridgers opening lines, “And of all the harm that e’er I’ve done. Alas, it was to none but me, for all I’ve done for want of wit. To mem’ry now I can’t recall.” Throughout the whole piece, every singer brought so much emotion to each word they sang, which is what made the piece so beautiful. Together, both Boygenius and Ye Vagabond’s voices layered brings a lively feeling to such a familiar song. I would give it a four out of five for its stunning simplicity and ability to switch up the classic while still capturing the original song’s beauty. The song itself doesn’t stray far from its previous portrayal by other artists, which can be seen as a weak point in its goal of remaking a song. Differently, the original gradually becomes more uplifting towards the end. Intentionally, this cover does not, which I think adds a bit of contrast to the original. The passion of the artists however is what separates this rendition from any other.
