The Detachments - Holiday Romance
Ooh. Bad start. Uninspiring octave jumps on an 80s synth, accompanied by drones of a similar tone. Austere vocals, all echo and the words, "I've made my mind up, we should not be friends," sung over the top. No change until the chorus. This is London band b>The Detachments' new single Holiday Romance.
What this single lacks for me, apart from much musical interest, is originality. This song could have been a filler by Madonna or the Pet Shop Boys twenty five years ago, and it barely matters who is singing it. The drum machine carried synth tune could have been played by anyone at all, the vocals sung by anyone with a voice deep enough. It's a catchy little track, but so are many dull songs. The chorus of "Some kind of holiday romance" is a hookline, but no more.
The good points of this single are its relaxed dance beat and singalong lyrics. But the whole thing been done before, and it wasn't inspiring the first time round. 'Why does it need to be inspiring?', you may say. The answer is, it doesn't, but it should have than a hookline and some synth arpeggios to interest potential fans; it doesn't.
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