Benjamin Ingrosso – Crystal Clear

“I am… not sold on that. Not even close.”

Tim: When we looked at his debut last month, you stated that “he’s either got an exceptional ability for switching between notes accurately and instantly, or there’s a bit too much autotune on here”. Today, we find out which it was.

Tom: Is it autotune? I bet it’s autotune.

Tom: CALLED IT.

Tim: Well, yes. But despite the vocal coming straight out of a 2009 R&B track, I still really like it, mostly because of absolutely everything else.

Tom: I am… not sold on that. Not even close. The best I can say about it is that the synth in the middle eight’s interesting. What stands out for you?

Tim: The melody, the string line that pops in every now and again, the heavy beat, the vocals that don’t have the auto-tune on them (and sometimes the ones with it)…just, all of it, really. Much like last time – it’s all good (as long as you don’t count that bits that aren’t good).

Tom: And my reaction’s much the same as last time. It’s competent, sure, and the production’s graet — it’s just that the composition’s a bit poor. But, as we said, before, I’m a bit more cynical than you.

Benjamin Ingrosso – Fall In Love

“All of the music, albeit less of the dance”

Tim: Cousin of the more notable Sebastian Ingrosso of Swedish House Mafia and Axwell Λ Ingrosso fame, Benjamin brings all of the music, albeit less of the dance; have a listen.

Tim: And, that’ll do me very well indeed, right out of the gates with the piano start. Throw in the FABULOUS use of a string section, then add that drumming section in, there’s really not a lot to criticise about this track’s production. His vocal line is very much on point.

Tom: Suspiciously so: he’s either got an exceptional ability for switching between notes accurately and instantly, or there’s a bit too much autotune on here. But despite that, there’s that bizarre “pffft” plosive on every “for us” that should really have been fixed.

I mean, the production’s good, but almost mechanically so: instruments turn on and off rather like someone’s flicked a light switch.

Tim: And with that rabble rousing chorus with his multiple simultaneous vocals (always an impressive skill), I’d go so far as to say there’s really not a lot to criticise about this track at all. Is there?

Tom: Apparently I’m slightly more cynical than you. But we knew that already.