Listening to “Movie” by SOI feels like eating soul food. The pure, unadulterated joy emanating from this song is engrossing, and even after it’s over you crave more. There’s something wistfully familiar about it, but it still manages to maintain a contemporary, trendy atmosphere.
It’s clear from the very start that this song is going to be packed with attention to detail and nuance. The intro is soaked with reverb, echo, and mesmerizing panning. A guitar floats gracefully in the background, complimenting the almost angelic chord choices. As the buzzing synth propels us into the verse, the vocalist’s sultry, clear tone rings out. The melody ascends elegantly until it comes hurtling back down, mimicked by a low-pitched patch that almost creates the illusion of a vocoder. Harmonies swirl behind every word in a seemingly haphazard fashion. Nothing about this verse is boring–every note, sound, and word is somehow meticulous and instinctive at the same time.
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, in comes a saxophone solo. The smooth, effortless ambiance transforms into something bold and bluesy. At times it sounds improvisational, and at other times it sounds composed, playing in tandem with the drums or guitar. As this nearly minute-and-a-half-long solo comes to a dramatic close, the vocalist chimes in one last time, exiting the song with a twinkle of piano.
“Movie” encompasses everything R&B—the chords, the groove, the vocals, the ambitious saxophone solo. It was an incredibly enjoyable listen, and anyone that comes across this one is in for a delightful surprise.
Written by Alyce Lindberg
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