Echosmith releases distinctive, unique new single

Natalie O'Dell, Staff Writer

Echosmith, a band best known for their hit, “Cool Kids” is back with a new single, “Over My Head”. After “Cool Kids” received considerable success, the band performed on several high profile TV shows. They also enjoyed success with music critics, who praised their emphasis on melody and ‘new wave’ influence. However, they haven’t enjoyed success on music charts since their single “Bright” reached 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. Now, they have a new single, “Over My Head”. Is it worthy of reclaiming the band’s chart success?

The band described their music as “shimmering synths, airy guitars, and heavenly vocals”. They attribute themselves to the genre “alt pop”, more commonly called “indie pop”, a sub-genre made to oppose the sound of mainstream pop music. It is definitely an accurate label for this particular song, because it doesn’t deviate enough from the pop genre to be considered as something else entirely, but doesn’t sound enough like it to be considered purely pop.

As for the sound of the track, it is melancholy, so it doesn’t embody the “dreamy pop” sound that the band hopes to achieve. However, the instrumentals definitely are carefully constructed like the band members say they intend. They definitely contribute to the overall tone of the song, and even make up the catchiest and most memorable parts. The song certainly captures the alt pop sound that the band wants to put to its name.

As for reclaiming chart success for Echosmith, I’m not convinced “Over My Head” is equipped. It is well produced, but as an alt-pop song it would be out of place on mainstream pop radio. I think if Echosmith wants to keep using the alt-pop style as a part of their identity, which I would respect, they probably won’t have much success on the Billboard Hot 100, but that doesn’t mean they should stop using this style. I think that having music that sounds distinct from the other songs is more valuable than having a high place on the Billboard Charts.

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