In their new single "Don't Need Much," Atlanta-based duo The Electric Sons tap into the bittersweet ache of human longing with a candor that is at once timeless and jarringly present. It fits with the introspective spark of their previous single, "Real Life," and digs further into the emotional tug-of-war between contentment and desire, what we say we need versus what we really want.
The recording process, which took place in a single, ferociously creative day at Maze Studios in Atlanta, has the fingerprints of spontaneity, but nothing is rushed about anything here. The track invites you into a world that feels both cozy and vast, a tightrope. The Electric Sons have obviously figured out how to walk. The production is sleek and contemporary but never over-polished, leaving raw feelings simmering beneath the surface.
The song is built on a contradiction of the simple destination of getting everything you want. Yes, it's about material wealth, the kind of wealth that can buy mountains, oxygen, and luxury. "Don't Need Much" muses how modest desires can be huge when life does not cooperate. From a vocal point of view, it's an incredibly nuanced performance. The delivery has a soulful sobriety, as though the words are being appraised anew with every breath. The layered synths, tasteful percussion, and spacious arrangement collaboratively affirm the internal push and pull in hope and frustration, yearning and resignation.
In a world where many songs would've turned the emotional theme into a cliché, The Electric Sons treat it with subtlety and feeling. It's that one-of-a-kind pop song that doesn't ask for your attention but grabs it, revealing itself further with each listen. With "Don't Need Much," The Electric Sons clarify that they don't need smoke, mirrors, or overproduction to make an impression. They just need a well-crafted sound, substantive lyrics, and the guts to tell emotional truths. It's a song that hangs quietly in your mind for a long time.
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