Now that we are deep into the middle of Autumn in the UK, it is not completely uncommon for moods and musical tastes to shift to accommodate the colder weather; as we bust out the jumpers and embrace the changing colours of the trees. This is relevant because it leads me onto the Yorkshire based trio The Pretty Ugly with their new single Elvis; a heartfelt and uplifting love song that has plenty of personality, great dynamics, and a ton of soul behind it’s more lengthy run time.
Even as early as the introduction it becomes apparent that the production of this song is sublime. Every instrument comes through clearly in the mix and everything is as loud or as quiet as it should be. My favourite part of this is the use of reverse notes in the opening to the song. These add an eeriness and makes the listener aware that this is going to be a more emotional and vulnerable listening experience.
Once the slightly reverberated vocals edge their way into the song, it becomes clear that this is not a song for the audience. This is a song written for a very specific person in the lyricist’s life. Despite this, it is a narrative that many listeners can connect with and add our own meaning to.
Once the first chorus is over and we enter the second verse, something else that becomes apparent are the sheer number of different musical elements that this song contains. This showcases a very strong knowledge of instrumentation and works as an apt metaphor for the emotional showcase of love that this song is clearly going for. It is hard not to feel uplifted by the time the second chorus kicks in, with some really great vocal harmonies.
Something that doesn’t really land in this song for me, however, is the sections between the second chorus and the final chorus. Each section works quite well on its own, however, the song becomes a little crowded as these sections can drag on a little, especially as there is a fairly lengthy outro following the final chorus too.
The transition from the ‘quiet’ chorus in the middle of the song to its following section can come across as a little jarring lyrically breaking the flow of the well-crafted metre of the vocals up to this point. I feel like committing to either the bridge OR the preceding quiet chorus by blending it into the final chorus would have made it a little more concise in the overall flow of the song.
With that being said, that is one of the great things about being a music enjoyer. What I did not enjoy about this song, was greatly outweighed by the rest of the piece, which I enjoyed very much. Opinions will be opinions; however, an artist’s expression should not be dictated by an audience. I think this song really shines in its storytelling through its lyrics and the finesse of each of its instrumental and vocal offerings.
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