Give It a Listen: Firewoodisland and S-X

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Reggie Myers

Reggie Myers is a writer and communications professional living in Philadelphia, Pa., where he graduated from Temple University. Music, television, film, books, video games, politics, and human sexuality are just a few of the many things that make him tick. When he's not working behind a computer screen, you can find him looking for new adventures, practicing photography, scheming ways to get to the front row of a concert, or scouring the corners of the internet for new music to put his friends on to. @reggieakil

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Well, it’s been a while since I’ve written one of these.  For those who don’t remember, Give It a Listen was a series where I highlighted three or four songs you should check out this week. This week, I have songs from folk band Firewoodisland and producer S-X with former Pussycat Dolls member Jessica Sutta.

Firewoodisland – Simon

Fresh off tour, Firewoodisland released their new single and video for ‘Simon’ last week. This song is an warm ode to self-realization through love.

The best thing about this song is its ability to paint a picture for you while you’re listening to it. The folk instrumentation and the harmonies will make you like a kid again running through fields and moving with a confidence that seems all but forgotten. You can’t help but feel good when you listen to a record like this. On top of that, this song has easy to remember lyrics and a catchy hook.

It’s just a shame this song did not come out two years earlier, so it could have gotten the publicity it deserved as a part of the neo-folk trend of late 2012-2013.

S-X ft. Jessica Sutta – For Myself

Next up, we have this electronic dance music number from S-X and Jessica Sutta titled ‘For Myself’. This song was written for the radio with an inviting beat and uplifting lyrics.

While many EDM songs have beats that go through elaborate transformations at several different points, S-X chooses simplicity. This even keel sets it apart from the modern EDM songs of the day and makes it easily danceable. However, this is really the only upside to the song.

The song only has one verse:

‘I don’t need that love from nobody/I’m deep in love, in love with myself/Everybody’s searching for somebody/But I’m deep in love, in love with myself”

Sounds nice, right? If she only said this once and offered other lyrics, the answer would be yes. But after hearing this verse over and over again with only long stretches of the beat playing with her saying ‘it’s ecstasy’, it becomes played very quickly.

Ultimately, the song comes off as generic and uninspired, doomed to join a long list of unmemorable EDM records that came before it.

http://youtu.be/8huCNg3Ut6M

That’s it for this week’s Give It a Listen. Take a listen of both songs, and feel free to let me know what you think.