VanDordrecht - Back To Life
PREMIERE | VANDORDRECHT DAZZLES ON ‘BACK TO LIFE’
Portland, Oregon indie-pop artist VanDordrecht premieres “Back To Life” on Rawckus. It's a dazzling song from a gifted artist.
VanDordrecht | Photo: Kaitlin Green
“Back To Life” resembles a musical travel piece, where steps along the journey are mirrored in the motion of the music, from an initial elusive context to VanDordrecht’s travels to Barcelona, where he encountered and fell under the spell of a bewitching woman.
According to VanDordrecht, “People often listen to music to escape into another world and connect. When writing these songs, I kept asking myself ‘What is the story I want to tell people?’ I wanted to take people on the journeys inherent in each song.”
Formerly a member of indie rock bands Sidestar and Castella, the latter was produced by the legendary Joe Chiccarelli, who told VanDordrecht, “You should absolutely keep writing. You write songs with a classic sound, and that’s rare. That moment was validating and has stuck with me. It has helped me to keep going.”
On “Back To Life,” which was produced by Rian Lewis, who also produced his last album, Beast of Love, VanDordrecht instills smooth, glossy pop savors prompted by listening to Frank Ocean and Daft Punk.
Her lush voice imbues the song with intimate yearning, like the luminous dust of dreams suspended on gossamer filaments.
“Back To Life” opens on emerging waves of sound flowing into an elegant piano topped by VanDordrecht’s creamy, crystalline tones, full of sublimely tender flavors. A rolling, tumbling rhythm infuses the tune with sinuous undulations. As the harmonics swell, the rhythm takes on a crunching muscularity crowned by shimmering sheens of color.
Radiant plush background harmonies ignite the music with glowing depth and resonant dimension. A soft breakdown inhabited by a singular droning tone shifts the harmonics to trembling hues, prior to moussing back up to tantalizing majestic energy.
If you listen closely, you can hear the ghost-like tones of the woman of Barcelona speaking Spanish in the backdrop. Her lush voice imbues the song with intimate yearning, like the luminous dust of dreams suspended on gossamer filaments.
“Back To Life” is extraordinarily gorgeous, exuding a sense of sonic imminence, gleaming surface textures, and the entrancing timbres of VanDordrecht.
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