Here at the Send Me Your Ears studio today, we’ve been listening to the latest single from Florida-based artist, Hadee. Kerosene was released on February 3, 2023, and explores themes of romance and its fleetingness.
Kerosene starts with synths and a gorgeously deep and catchy bassline. There are vocals in the distance. This initial section sets the scene and lets the listener know they are in for a genre-bending combination of 80s-inspired synthpop, together with modern production and some nifty tricks. Already we’re hooked!
The song explodes into the full band and the modern production is evident. Imagine Duran Duran produced today. There are moments we were reminded of The Damned and at other times, more modern artists, such as OneRepublic.
Hadee makes superb use of sections within this track, constantly mixing up the drum patterns and instrumentation to present an exhilarating mix of music that you couldn’t possibly consider as ‘background music.’ The rise and fall of the dynamic soundscape here is done to perfection. From the 16-beat hi-hat during the choruses to the bass and kick drum breakdown that builds, this is a song which deserves your full attention.
Hadee’s vocals are superb in this track, with a classy mix of well-controlled head voice and chest voice. The falsetto moments are to die for and the layered harmonies, particularly in the semi A Capella section.
Ideas from our ears
This is a great-sounding track and has been mixed very effectively. To our ears, a hi-pass filter around 35Hz followed by a small cut around 80Hz would remove some unnecessary rumble in the sub-bass area and make the low end a little clearer. A cut around 600-700Hz in the vocal track could reduce some slightly ‘honky’ tones too. A boost around 2kHz would give the track a little more ‘edge’ in that area. A single-band compressor on the top 2 octaves with a little make-up gain could add some extra brightness overall. Finally, a light compressor/limiter and maybe 3dB of make-up gain for a final bit of extra punch and a little more volume. As always, these are just some ideas from our ears.
Final thoughts
Kerosene was our first introduction to the music of Hadee, but we’re hooked! This is quality 80s-inspired synthpop with gloriously modern production that will appeal to a wide audience. More, please!