REVIEW: Echo November | Seventeen Years
On May 3, Echo November announced the upcoming release of their third single; ‘Seventeen Years’. The alternative indie group released their debut single ‘Thrown to the Sea’ on August 16 2018. Their second single “Fall Into Me” followed three months later. Both singles were received incredibly well and left fans eager to hear what was next from the group.
The song begins with a solo guitar drenched in delay creating an echoing effect. This gives the song an instantly gripping intro and sets the tone for the piece nicely. At first the piece sounds like a slower ballad-type song. However, within the intro, the drums lead into a heavier section where the guitar and bass enter. This change in the piece is gripping and creates an interest as what else is to happen within the song. The verse follows the intro, once again softer like the track’s beginning and the vocals enter. Lead singer Rob Parker’s vocals fit perfectly as he enters; singing softly and matching the songs dynamics throughout. Parker’s strong vocals and talent matches that of the band’s perfectly, as each member role slots effortlessly into the track and clearly shows each members talent.
The songs lyrics are very well thought out and suit the song naturally. The bassist of Echo November, Sam Bojakowski told PurCulture that “The song is about getting older and trying to hold on to friends. It expresses some of the concerns many people (including the band) have about growing apart from the people they've always known.” This is shown very clearly in the song and its overall sound and feeling fits the lyrics well and almost matches what the lyrics say with sound. Sam also states that “The song also mentions the feeling of time 'speeding up' as one gets older, and this is mimicked by the song's asymmetrical structure.“ This is shown in the use of quieter verses and a louder more powerful chorus which greatly contrasts the quiet verse. this idea is also shown very clearly in the piece and works brilliantly.
The song contains a middle eight section of a prominent guitar solo. The use of notes in the solo work perfectly and give the song a lot of feeling. This feels like the moment in the song where everything builds to its peak, and following this the song drops and strips back almost completely. This is incredibly effective and works amazingly with the song. It also reflects the songs theme perfectly.
Overall the song is brilliant. From the well thought out themes and structure with the individual talents of each member, the song is incredibly executed. In addition to this ,the piece also fits the bands sound well, fitting the style of the bands previous singles whilst still remaining its own. This release is surely to leave listeners eager for more, waiting in anticipation to see what’s next
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