Victor Pedro’s “Call Me I Need Ya” opens in a very stylish
manner and has female backing vocalists nailing down the song title for
listeners before Pedro’s voice enters the song. Pedro wisely never overburdens
the song with an assortment of musical bells and whistles but, instead, centers
his musical efforts on creating an uncluttered musical experience built around
insistent electronic percussion and additional understated synthesizer
flourishes flashing intermittently throughout the entirety of the tune. Many
listeners, especially those who aren’t converts to electronic instruments,
decry what they often label the sterile and impersonal nature of such sounds,
but such criticism cannot be leveled against this song and its arrangement. The
percussion and synthesizer emits genuine warmth throughout the song dovetailing
into Pedro’s own intimate vocal.
Pedro’s singing is the heart of the song. Much like the focus we
hear from the song’s music, Pedro never overplays his hand as a vocalist and
concentrates on delivering emotive and well phrased lines while devoting much
of his attention, as well, towards weaving his voice around the musical
accompaniment. Unity is one of the overall strengths of this track. Each
element feeds into another rather than creating tension and the inclusion of
the earlier mentioned backing vocals complements him as well. There is no
glaring chorus, per se, but Pedro has a canny skill for manipulating the lyrics
in such a way there is a natural rising and falling in the vocal every bit as
satisfying. He, likewise, fills the vocal with a tangible longing surging
through each line with an amount of feeling we expect from much older and more
experienced performers. To hear it from Pedro testifies to the vast talent he
brings to bear on each new release.
The lyrics give him a launching pad for such excellence. There
isn’t a hint of overwriting present in this track; instead, it goes right to
the heart of the subject without ever entertaining any sideshows. The same
emotional intensity fueling the musicality of this song is present in the
lyrics as well, but there’s confidence as well coming through in every line.
Victor Pedro’s words are convincing at every turn. Even a single listen to this
track will make even the most casual listeners believe he, indeed, does need to
hear from the subject of this song and he pulls it off with bracing
effectiveness. Much of that effectiveness can be attributed to the fact, like
it is musically, there isn’t a single wasted word to be heard in this song.
Victor Pedro’s journey from youthful musical passion to becoming
a complete professional has proven to be an invigorating ride, but even one
hearing of “Call Me I Need Ya” should likewise prove this journey is far from
over. He possesses the necessary talent to be a musical force for years to come
and we have likely only begun to scratch the surface of his considerable
talents. This is a dyed in the wool R&B single with all the necessary
attributes to make it a classic of the form.
Trace Whittaker
No comments:
Post a Comment