Single: Legal High by The Eves
Pop duo The Eves are set to release their new single, ‘Legal High’, an up-tempo ditty about the tried and true topic of the giddy feeling of falling in love, with the running metaphor of comparing it to the effects of a new drug. The track, produced by Lewis Gardner, has a high energy 80’s flavour, with epic reverb-drenched drums, an assortment of high frequency, sparkly synths, a plucked guitar riff that recurs throughout and highly compressed, archetype pop vocals. As is common in pop songs, the same four chords repeat through almost the entire song – a reliable option, though some repeating dissonance in the chords against the melody line seems an odd choice for something featured so often, particularly in the chorus.
After a brief, pleasantly swirling and filtered intro, the melody of the verses is full of short, sharp notes with lots of repetition – catchy and full of building tension. The arrangement here is dramatic, with a feeling of space, and draws the listener in – a promising start. The chorus, however, was underwhelming. It also has much repetition. Although this is no bad thing in itself, some more variation, movement and range in the melody to contrast with the verses would give a lift. It would also allow for more artistic expression in the vocal performance, which to me lacks conviction in portraying the strong emotion of love. I think if the vocal melody had been different, more emotion and dynamics could have come through. This was achieved in their previous single, ‘Brand New Day’, which features some rich low vocals in the verses to contrast with the higher chorus, as well as a very satisfying “drop” before each chorus – an element that would have added some much-needed tension and release in this track, along with definition and separation of the sections.
Returning to the song at hand, the chorus lyrics are full of frequently used phrases in pop songs – comfortably familiar to listeners, but not expressing the sentiment in a very innovative way. Structurally, the chorus has two very similar sections, both lyrically and melodically, whilst there is no breakdown - an increasing trend in recent pop music, that has been linked to shortened attention spans from fifteen second Tik Tok videos and social media. This saddens me, as a bridge provides something new to maintain the listener’s interest. It would have improved the track if at least one of these second chorus sections was cut to make room for a bridge instead, and perhaps placed before the drop chorus near the end. Before this section, there are some textured backing vocals, providing pleasant ear candy and adding some light and shade. I think more of this could have enhanced the track.
To conclude, ‘Legal High’ has some impactful instrumentation in the verses and polished production. It is a catchy pop song that has its moments, but in my opinion, it doesn’t meet its full potential. A little more variety in these various ways would have spiced things up and provided a richer listening experience.
