Where Nick Phoenix’s voice is quite gentle and reflective in the new single and music video “Andromeda,” the weight of his words is much more focused and aggressively fashioned to the implied beat in the opening bars of the song. As the track begins to evolve, it becomes clear that we’re listening to a stacked rock single and not just a composite pop song that could be stylized or formed into any aesthetical shape a label would need it to present as, which is telling of the personal investment Phoenix has in the concept for “Andromeda.”
Musically speaking, the contrast between delivery and lyricism is one of the key themes in this release, but I would stop short of saying that juxtaposition is the lone agent of evocation in the whole of the song. On the contrary, the straightforwardness of the hook in this track creates a striking radio accessibility that could do our singer a lot of favors on the mainstream end of the spectrum, and as much as I enjoyed the substance of the song on its own, there’s even more to be said about the symbolic imagery offered to us in the music video. This is as full-bodied as they come, and a terrific addition to a summer pop playlist.
Although it might have been a little safer to utilize a soft hook towards the conclusion of the track, I think it was downright provocative to give the latter half of “Andromeda” the level of imposing sonic presence as it’s got here. Phoenix is pushing this harmony as hard as he can, and when we get into the climax of the song it’s as if we’re about to feel the whole world come crashing down on our leading man – only for him to emerge from the rubble with an epilogue.
The percussion is admittedly much louder than it needs to be in a couple of spots, but this bit of decadence only adds to the theatrical feel of the track when we’re closing in on the finish line. This mix benefits the collective as opposed to directing all of the spotlight to Phoenix’s vocal, which admittedly could have easily been done given how much power he’s throwing down behind the microphone. The video’s use of cinematic visuals is really enticing and helps to connect the cosmetic themes with the subtext of the lyrics, and I actually think it makes the piece feel a lot more multi-interpretive in general.
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Born of physicality and poetic sensibilities the same, I’m impressed with what this player has to say in “Andromeda” and am hopeful he’ll follow up its release with something equally dynamic in the near future. Nick Phoenix’s debut album seemed to go over well enough with critics to justify a lot more attention on this latest offering, and I’ll go out on a limb now and say this is going to be more successful for a few different reasons – the most prominent being its creator’s lack of fear when it comes to making use of eclecticisms and melody the same.
Mindy McCall
