Music Existence Because of Music, We Exist
Cerebral and deftly melodic to no end, the beat is at times even more defining than Bill Crews’ delivery of the verses in the new cover single “People Get Ready,” currently out this late summer and generating a lot of buzz in the underground. Where past releases bearing the Bill Crews and The Crews Cartel moniker have been riddled with texture when it comes to the arrangement of the music, there’s a strange refinement to the groove in “People Get Ready” that only contributes more tension to the soft undertow the guitar and drum volley creates. Despite being a cover song, this single has a certain originality that makes it quite the additive listen even to audiences who wouldn’t normally go for this strain of pop, and I think it shows just how much this artist has elevated his game in the past couple of years.
There’s not a lot of meat on this guitar part, but frankly, I don’t think there would have been room for any more in the grander scheme of things in “People Get Ready.” The physicality of the vocal doesn’t leave a whole heck of a lot of space on the backend for any disruptive discord in the instrumental parts, but instead of eliminating every drop of emotive energy from the song, this formula creates another layer of passion tucked somewhere between the rhythm and the rhyme. Bill Crews certainly can’t be accused of taking songwriting shortcuts in this track, which is sadly something I haven’t been able to say about a lot of his closest rivals in both the underground and the mainstream.
I would love to hear an all-out naked take of “People Get Ready” in a remix if possible, mostly just to confirm what I suspected right out of the gate with this single – that its linchpin is, and always will be, its commanding vocal. Bill Crews deceptively lures us into the harmony at the start of the track with nothing more than a groove and some unsuspecting melodic textures to complement the mood of the ensuing beat, but once he starts to sing, all of the attention in the room and, more importantly, the creative direction of the music shifts to his voice alone. He’s got an incredible skillset, and I have no doubts as to whether or not he’s giving us everything he’s got in this most recent studio cut.
A show of strength more than it is an aesthetical game-changer, fans of smart covers really can’t go wrong with Bill Crews’ “People Get Ready,” which I would describe as being one of the richer examples of indie pop caviar you’re going to find on the left side of the dial this September. Bill Crews employs his one-of-a-kind techniques without introducing a lot of arrogance into the mix here, and whether you’ve been following his career from the beginning or are just now discovering his talents for the very first time, it’s difficult to deny just how much moxie he’s bringing into the music with him in “People Get Ready.” I’m eager to hear more from his band, and I’m not the only one.
Kelly McKinnon
