OFFICIAL: http://www.juliamcdonaldmusic.com/
Written
by Dale Butcher, posted by blog admin
It’s
hard to straddle the fence between too poppy and just poppy enough. The pop genre itself is a precarious balance
where an overindulgence of sugarcoating and bubblegum aesthetics could easily
cause harm to the music but if you balance all of the elements just right the
songs could turn into something special.
Julia McDonald definitely has that something special going on with her
first EP, Gravity.
The
title track is a gust of syrupy sweet vocal inflections and well-lathed
instrumental melodies that dabble in dub/electronica throb and pop rock
guitars. On paper it might seem kind of
bland but once you put on the headphones you’re entranced by the attention to
layered production which weaves multiple melodies together as well as
McDonald’s gliding vocals. Her prowess
when delivering the lyrics makes sure that the song is always moving forward
and never stagnating. “Games” takes
things one step further thanks to hurried tempos, energy rush guitars and the
commanding vocals which go from r & b freestyle to impactful singing that
really hits its stride during the chorus. “Pretty Committee”, out of the EP’s
six tracks, is the most suited to pop radio and mainstream airplay. The gilded rhythmic grooves and ambient
switch ups put Julia in line with Pink (only McDonald’s writing is more
thoughtful). It is low carb stuff in
terms of its simplicity but the nutrition can again be found in the subtle
construction of multiple layers and sweeping keyboard flourishes. “No Good for Me” has slight, dub-tinged
choruses that bounce on a beat as the chorus forms up into another pop standout
that hits all of the right notes and all of the right instrumental melodies
(the understated programming is a frequent highlight from track to track). Acoustic, guitar spun pop gives “Something to
Talk About” a straightforward feel that is perfectly suited to the lower
registers of Julia’s voice, while curtain call cut “Simpler Things” is a
danceable, prom night winner that totally relies on the vocals and synths to do
the majority of the heavy lifting.
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