Souleye – Snow Angel
Showcasing his wife Alanis Morissette in a stirring supporting role, Souleye’s second single from his soon to be released full length effort Wild Man is a captivating and deeply imaginative work of musical art. The single, produced by Crush Effect, differs slightly from the hip hop master’s preceding single. This is a deeply personal and beautifully wrought exploration of a complicated personal relationship containing some of the same indomitable spirit embodying much of his other songwriting. Despite whatever conflicts he depicts in this song, his hope and wish for something better or positive to emerge from the experience remains undimmed. The song is tailored for maximum impact and features many of Souleye’s trademark musical elements – exquisite electronic melodies, imaginative loops, and heart piercing vocals. This song is a winner from the first seconds onward and should further stoke anticipation for the future release of Wild Man.
The primary strengths of Souleye’s artistry lies in his vocals and lyrics. Both are in exceptional form during this song. He wastes no time at all driving to the heart of his song and living there with a flowing, rhythmically driven delivery exploiting the content to its fullest. There’s a wealth of emotion in the song as well and it is clearly reflected in the varying emphasis he provides key passages. His rhyming on the song is memorable without ever being gaudy and serves a purpose on each line rather than attempting to wow listeners with his linguistic prowess. Souleye consistently rejects self indulgence through all of his work and the same principal powers the vocals and lyrical content on “Snow Angel”. Morissette’s electronically treated vocals are equally compelling and her contributions to the song create unique chances for a quasi-dialogue to form between these two unique voices. Much like guitar players audiences can identify in just a handful of notes, the style of these performers are so individual their mark on any recording immediately captures attention.
The music arrangement is equally vivid in many respects. The electronic melodies and loops are hallmarks of his songwriting, but the percussion and post-production touches in the track contribute much to the overall effect. Souleye’s and Morissette’s voices are seamlessly integrated and the music complements their respective instruments without ever vying for primacy. One of the song’s most important points comes with the bridge when much of the backing track falls away and Souleye’s voice comes to center stage in a much more visceral fashion than at any other point in the song. “Snow Angel” has a very different feel than the album’s first single, but the similarities between the two cannot be ignored. They both exhibit Souleye’s unending commitment to creating atmospheric and imaginative sonic landscape infused with a generous amount of musicality. Moreover, this is a highly entertaining outing designed to engage listeners physically every bit as much as mentally. Every bit of praise and commercial success that he enjoys with this single is richly deserved and its quality promises much from the new album.
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Lydia Hillenburg