Tim: Normally, Tom, I’ve a vague idea whether or not you’ll like a song before I send it to you. This time, though, I don’t know whether you’ll love it, think it’s just too over the top, or have just a general ‘ehh’.
Tom: Statistically, it’s very likely to be the latter.
Tim: Have a listen.
Tom: First off, I’m uncomfortable with that video, which was apparently filmed in Mosul on the day it was officially liberated from ISIS? There’s clearly a lot of context that I’m not translating well in that article — or at least, I hope there is. I’m going to assume this wasn’t just some guy turning up to film a music video in Iraq.
Anyway, the music, which is now in a background tab for me.
Tim: For me, you can probably guess, I love it. The nice thing about it is that yes, there are bits that I’m not keen on – the pre-chorus, the first half of the middle eight – but in each case they are immediately followed by something much better that what came previously.
Tom: You know what? I’m actually prepared to go out on a limb and say I like this. I don’t love it — like you said, that talky bit in the middle eight is pretty awful, and I am baffled by what appears to be boogie-woogie piano briefly appearing in an early chorus. There are good bits.
Tim: That chorus, for example, is entirely lovely, and that bit at the end is…well, to be honest I’ve no idea what it is, it’s a complete musical smorgasbord, but it sounds delightful. Any good for you?
Tom: It’s… good. I’m actually willing to say it’s good.