SINGLE REVIEW :: Cousin Nancy - "Crushin'"
Cousin Nancy - “Crushin’”
Digitally self-released on Dec. 13th, 2019.
“Cousin Nancy is a dance/pop duo from Kansas City comprised of Cole Crawford (instrumentalist/producer) and Daniel Gum (vocalist/writer). On Friday, December 13th of 2019 the group released their first single, “Crushin”.
“Crushin” introduces itself as many pop songs tend to: disguised as an ethereal assortment of major seventh chords playing from your neighbor’s speakers above your apartment. Simulating the motion of a wave just before it breaks, the lo-pass filter slowly climbs up across the EQ frequency bands to reveal the polished multi-tracked machine that it is. Thumping and clicking, hissing and humming, the machine does its job seamlessly: creating and releasing tension, supporting the foundation for which a voice and a hook may respond to its movement.
Cousin Nancy bares a stylistic likeness to artists and producers such as Miike Snow, Calvin Harris, and Loud Luxury; yet, Crawford and Gum have expedited the process of creating professional quality pop songs by promoting an environment free of judgment, commercial restrictions, and record label red tape.
Writing, beat-making, producing, performing, engineering, and mixing are all critical components of a radio-ready track. They are typically delegated to different individuals who specialize in each field. Collaborating as Cousin Nancy, Crawford and Gum play tennis, bouncing each ‘in-progress’ track back and forth over email. Crawford manages the motion of the beats, bassline, and rhythm while Gum answers in stems of silky, analog synths and vocal recapitulations of original lyrics. The dynamic proves harmonious. Crawford has a long track record of producing experimental electronic music as proven in Luxury Sport and Alliance. This compliments the strong songwriting and multi-instrumental talents Gum has flexed in Pillow, Myry, and his own solo music. As the two draw closer to the final product, they commune to share last minute critiques, hash out final edits, and dump the session into a format where Gum can mix and balance each track side-by-side in preparation for mastering.
If you’re a music-maker, it just takes listening to “Crushin” once to know that this song didn’t happen overnight. The true beauty of a strong pop song lies within the reciprocity of compassion and respect between collaborators, and this philosophy is one of the main components in Crawford and Gum’s artistic relationship. A song that makes you want to dance doesn’t necessarily need a room of writers, a wrecking crew, and a massive budget. Sometimes, it can be as simple as the impulse it provokes.”
Review by ::
Rachel Mallin
Manor Blog Contributor & member of The Wild Type.
Manor Records gives 100% of article author rights to Rachel Mallin.
“Crushin’” single artwork.