“Prize Fighter” opens with this gradual, eerie construct that genuinely wrong-foots you earlier than it explodes into full indie rock mode.
Jean Dawson’s utilizing boxing as a body for one thing extra private right here – all that discuss of title belts and going the gap, however actually he’s asking if any of this effort truly issues.
“Is the prize struggle honest?” lands in a different way while you realise he’s most likely not speaking about boxing in any respect.
The manufacturing is stressed, but with a peaceful. There’s darkwave within the bones of it, certain, however then these synths crash in and abruptly you’re some other place solely.
The beat strikes at a gentle tempo, which works as a result of the entire thing’s about pushing ahead while you’re unsure why you’re nonetheless combating.
Dawson’s voice stays measured all through, virtually conversational, which makes the desperation within the lyrics hit more durable.
What’s fascinating is how he pulls from all these completely different sounds – different R&B, storage rock, digital stuff – and it doesn’t really feel messy.
The Flints and Dawson know what they’re doing right here. Although truthfully, the synth decisions really feel a bit secure, however nonetheless it does its job. They work, they only don’t shock.
From his deluxe album Rock A Bye Child, Glimmer of God, this observe sits in that uncomfortable house the place dedication meets doubt.
The metaphor’s heavy-handed at occasions however Dawson commits to it totally. There’s one thing genuinely aching about how he repeats that query time and again, like possibly if he asks sufficient occasions somebody will truly reply.
