Not Now Norman are continuing their quest for world domination with their latest single, Save Me.
This is an all out powerful rock anthem that just oozes quality and passion.
A strong start that immediately draws you in and lets you know you’re in for an exciting 4 minutes!
The guitars sound as though they’ve had two mics placed on the amp which leads to a lovely stereo effect on the track. Bravo! This is genre-perfect stuff!
The overall feel of this song puts me in mind of the likes of Evanescence or Halestorm with supremely intense female lead vocals. Looking at the promo material, I bet these guys just kill it live. Lead singer, Taylor Mitchell, has a strong, belt-like timbre to her voice which carries well.
The drums on this track are huge!! Think Whitesnake or other similar “hair metal” type bands. Cavernous reverb and a real shimmer in the top end, especially on the ride in the choruses.
Just when I thought I couldn’t be any more impressed, a spectacular wailing guitar solo takes you right to the edge and then an expertly placed key change immediately after, with the guitar remaining in the background and adding in some first class riffs to bolster up Taylor’s voice.
I like that this song has a stinger ending. This isn’t a song, or a message to just fade out slowly. Not Now Norman have something to say and a fade out on this song would really detract from the overall message of concerns over climate change and military conflict.
My own thoughts on production are that I think the vocals could sit better in this track. They feel as though they’re just sitting on the top; as if the backing was mixed and then the vocals added afterwards. Don’t be afraid to compress the hell out of vocals on this style of music. It should make them fit better in the mix. I’d cut the vocal track a little around the 1000 and 250hZ marks and give a boost across the top to add some clarity.
On the overall track, I’d boost the kick drum a little (around 60hZ) and give a bit of a boost top and bottom. Maybe a little extra reverb on the guitar tracks as they feel just a little too far forward in comparison with the acres of reverb on the drum track (which I love).
Save Me is an expertly performed, well crafted and captivating rock song that gripped me from start to finish. Superb work. More please!!!
We give this song 4 ears out of 5
