Elina Filice’s “Don’t Let Me Fall” is a huge amalgamation of genres, production styles, and moods. The vocals feel almost singer-songwriter-ish, while the guitar bleeds indie rock. The drum production is surely electronic pop but the beat is almost disco. In addition, the dynamic build in this piece is gloriously indulgent. Anyone who comes across this song is in for something special.
The intro presents us with a clean-toned, arpeggiating guitar lick. The vocalist comes in crooning, “The air is getting heavier for you.” Their tone is light, breezy, and youthful. There’s a touch of the distinctive inflections common in indie-pop music. Reverb and echo emanate from every line, enveloping the often unexpected melody choices. Despite the evident brightness of the vocals, the notes themselves feel dark and ensnaring.
A series of bold, syncopated guitar hits activates the chorus, quickly joined by a four-on-the-floor drum feel. This is where we start to see the electronic aspects of this song mesh with the live aspects. As the singer repeats, “Don’t let me fall,” the instrumentation creates tension and anticipation. A guitar playing some cascading octaves fills in the high end, some programmed hi-hats and snares heighten the groove, and the bass slides effortlessly off of each musical phrase. But just as quickly as this chorus came, it melts back into another verse, leaving with it the propulsive groove.
Verses and choruses pass by, each with a few new production tricks to give the repeated sections a little extra kick. By verse 4, the song has abandoned the pop, singer-songwriter feel and is now fully electronic. Synths take the place of the guitars, and the programmed drums drive the momentum. Vocal harmonies take center stage for a moment while the track launches into one last, super-energetic chorus. A buzzing, crunchy guitar lick fades everything into oblivion, harkening back to the original alt-rock sound.
“Don’t Let Me Fall” takes the listener on a journey through several sounds and styles. For anyone who loves listening to a lot of different genres, or just plain loves good music, this one is a keeper.
Written by Alyce Lindberg
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