Well, where do I start? ‘Candid’ caught me off guard.
I was not expecting to be drawn in so quickly to this release from Outline. Having first heard the track, I was able to pinpoint why it is so catchy. The melody and rhythm work in harmony and create a long-lasting, memorable effect.
The track is an indie-pop release but not your stereotypical hit. I cannot find a lot of artists with a similar sound at the moment in the industry. I like that. It keeps it exciting, and it is about time we heard something different from the indie-pop world. I do not know a great deal about the band who hail from Birmingham, but I know that they all contribute massively to the release. There is no instrumentalist in the group which shines brighter than the other, and they all deliver a strong performance. I guess that they are well educated in music theory because the variance between sections does not stick to the status quo.
On the flip side, although my praise is high. I always seem to find something I would have changed with new music, possibly because I look at it through a fine-tooth comb. But, the drums are slightly distant for me. It is most likely because of the large amount of wet reverb soaking the beats. Nevertheless, it does give a significant stereo effect, and it sounds majestic when played through a 5.1 surround set up.
The more I listened, the more the vocals reminded me of early Ed Sheeran. Possibly the ‘Shape Of You’ is an influence of the upcoming band or it is just an uncanny coincidence. Mind you; I could not think of a better singer at the moment to model the vocals. After all, he has done pretty well. Also, if you want to hear what Ed’s vocal sound would be like in an Indie setting, then look no further than ‘Candid’.