Music Existence Because of Music, We Exist
“Andromeda,” the stately new single from Nick Phoenix, opens with a retro pop calmness that has been sorely missed amidst the rise of aggressive beats and ludicrously harsh samples in the genre as of late, but it isn’t destined to remain a relaxed number for long.
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As the piano keys dance around a vocal that could hypnotize us with its melodicism alone, the rhythm of the music becomes increasingly constrictive, demanding our attention as the arrangement strengthens and the vulnerabilities in the lyrics become harder for us to resist. Although there’s been a lot of provocative pop/rock lately, there hasn’t been anything with the classic feel this single is sporting, and it could be the reason why so many are talking about it this summer.
If we’re to look at the instrumental construct of “Andromeda” exclusively, I think there’s no debating that going simple does a lot to spotlight what our singer is able to do with an otherwise cut and dry harmony. He’s got full command of the aesthetical direction this track is going, and it’s only because of how minor a wall he’s having to climb in terms of the backing band. Could Nick Phoenix handle even more? Of course he could, but that isn’t what this performance is about; from what I can tell, it’s got more to do with emphasizing detail than it does giving us more of the same old pop songcraft that has made its rounds on the radio for decades now (with no end in sight, mind you).
This is a single conceived on the back of duality, but if you’re under the impression that this means we’re listening to a split personality in Nick Phoenix’s delivery, you’ve got another thing coming in “Andromeda.” As much as I can tell that his mood is fractured in these lyrics, he’s so convincing with his precise execution that I’m never feeling like there’s a war for the lion’s share of our affections here. No matter what he’s trying to get across to the audience, whether it’s happiness flanked with regret or reflection accompanied by resentment, it sounds full-bodied and well-rounded, which isn’t easy for any artist to accomplish regardless of the music they’re trying to make in the studio.
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I admit that I came into my review of “Andromeda” without a lot of knowledge as to who Nick Phoenix was, but just in checking out his current discography ahead of this single’s release I picked up on the personal relationship he has with this medium as a whole. There’s a lot of love for the process in this performance that is hard to come by in pop music, particularly at a time in which inflated swagger is starting to feel like the biggest element of interest in the mainstream faction of the style, and if I’m noticing it as easily as I am when I listen to “Andromeda,” other critics and curious pop fans are bound to as well. This is heartfelt work, and a sneak peek into the future that I can get behind.
Babette Cook
