by Michael McKinney
Rating: 4 / 10
Yael Borger opens Electro Soul with a statement of purpose: “I’ve been waiting so long to come out / I’m ready, that’s no doubt / I’m feeling it.” And, at first glance, she seems to have a point: the production is polished to a sheen, letting Yael wrap herself up in deep bass throbs, pinging synths, and slabs of keyboards. This is wide-screen pop music, where the sheer spectacle of the thing seems to be the point rather than an ingredient. This technicolor ambition permeates the release, all the way down to the album cover. But it ultimately comes off cold, manufactured: rather than the deep reds and blues aimed for, Borger hits a solid beige.
It’s worth reiterating, though, how expensive this release sounds: the reverb-soaked drums and string lines of “Lost Without You,” the slippery bass and synth jumps of “12 Months,” the synth pads on “Regrets.” And while most of these tracks come off as structurally predictable, with subdued verses getting shoved out of the way by joyously cinematic choruses, there’s a reason for the format’s longevity. The instrumentation serves to further accentuate the difference between these parts – “12 Months” moving from lonesome piano to explosions of skyward synths; “Regrets” throwing strings into the mix when the hook digs in; “Let Me Go” adding a propulsive keyboard line to contrast the verses’ synth-drum setup.
The production, however, isn’t without its faults: “Lost Without You” has both a great intro and distant, industrial-clatter drums, neither of which are capitalized upon, which is unfortunate given they’re the most interesting parts of the song; “Regrets” has an excellent, hazy atmosphere during the verse, making the outro focusing on the chorus feel wasted; the vocal chops and synth pulses on “First” feel more obligatory than purposeful. But the biggest issue is more universal: these instrumentals feel more serviceable than anything else. While they do have highlights, they’re more often good moments than great ones. These beats serve as a consistent bed that never amazes, but never completely drops the ball – but, in the process, proves to be completely unmemorable.
But these songs aren’t solely production; Yael’s vocals, too, run throughout the release. But you wouldn’t be remiss for forgetting, much of the time: her greatest issue here is simple songwriting. Nearly everything here is painfully universal, with four of the five tracks covering various strands of love: infatuation, breakups, confusion, regrets. This isn’t inherently a bad thing, of course – but with such commonly-covered themes, a little lyrical specificity goes a long way. Instead, Electro Soul has nondescript lyrics that slip into melodrama too often: “There’s no manual for broken hearts?” But she, too, proves to be functional, with a strong voice and knowledge of how to craft a hook. It’s just too bad that she leans into tropes without further exploring them, leaving much of the release coming off as a lyrical wash.
The result, then, is a hit-or-miss electropop release that comes off as too safe and by-the-books. Very little of it offends, but similarly little of it is notable; for every strong idea it’s got, it has a nondescript vocal line or awkward instrument thrown into the mix. Sure, it’s perfectly serviceable, making for solid background music – but isn’t it worth asking for more than that?
FCC: 3
RIYL: CAFUNÉ, Carly Rae Jepsen, CHVRCHES
Favorite Tracks: 2
