This review covers the pop rock track EMF – Unbelievable.
This track was released in 1991 on the album Schubert Dip.
The track starts with a drum kit, some elements of vocals and a few subtle synths. It doesn’t take long before the full vocals come in. These vocals are joined by some piano elements.
The main chorus comes in in the process, but is very brief. After this, the next verse comes in. It doesn’t take long before the next round with the main chorus comes in. There is even a record scratch making a subtle appearance.
In the next verse, the vocals are joined by a 303 synth. After a fair bit, the main chorus comes in. The main chorus repeats before being capped off with a guitar solo. The track breaks down quickly and ends with a vocal.
I have to admit, this track was a lot better then I was expecting. There is a very nice level of complexity going on here. There are guitars, synths, piano, and layers of vocals. The guitars really do bring the track together nicely, so everything does manage to congeal nicely.
One thing that does interest me about this track is the fact that the main chorus is so short. Normally, lyrics are written so there are a few lines in the main chorus to really make the track stand out. In this case, it’s basically the title of the track and little else. It is otherwise simply some incomprehensible background vocals and otherwise an instrumental section. I’m not entirely sure how, but the main chorus simply works anyway. I would expect myself to say that the main chorus is fleeting and non-existent because the lyrics are so short, but this works in spite or maybe because of the brevity of the lyrics.
For me, what stops this track from being a great track is the use of some worn cliche lyrics. The use of them does take some of the shine off of this track.
Overall, though, this is a pretty good track. It has a nice level of complexity that comes together with some electric guitar work. The vocals are pretty good and the various elements all come together nicely. It’s unfortunate that there are some cliche’s in the lyrics. Still, it is a pretty solid performing track.
Score
7.5/10
Drew Wilson on Twitter: @icecube85 and Facebook.
