Half Hearted | Afterthought (feat. Maria Isabel)
Family Average: 5/7
Raised in San Francisco yet currently based in New York City, Afterthought is an artist constantly busying himself with musical projects and collaborations.
His latest release, “Half Hearted” with Maria Isabelle and production by Lewi Astro While had the family impressed with the smooth production and the power of the entrancing background vocals yet they found the lyric delivery to be a bit timid.
Do you agree? Listen along on Soundcloud and read on to find out:
I am loving the tone color here. The opening is very smooth with the rolling of the snare and wavy synths. I wished maybe the track was a bit longer, I wanted to hear more from Maria Isabel possibly a bridge or something but I never felt bored listening. I loved how the verse vocals were very minimal, containing only a slap reverb and some interesting panned backing. The lyricism was the main focal point for the verse for me which is always a plus to have some awesome sounds with impactful feeling. The pauses and breaks are also an addictive favorite for me here it reminds me of using gross beat, but it actually sounds good.
6/7
The production and that jazzy beat is so nice and wavy oh my god. Feels goood goood. But then when he starts rapping his flow is a bit sloppy, a bit hesitant.
But when Maria Isabel starts singing, wow. Her voice is divine and fits perfectly, does all the right things to ya. She carries the song.
Everything about this song, the arrangement, the production, the feature is so right. I will say though, I don’t know why everything stops at 2:07, I kept thinking it was my internet but then realized it was part of the song.
He’s a bit imperfect but that actually grew on me by the second verse, he’s got a bit of a 90s sound. And then I really liked the harmonies especially cus her voice is so fucking soothing and beautiful and his is a bit rougher a good juxtaposition.
I listened to this over and over.
6/7
This song just poured out of my laptop for a minute or so. Usually songs tend to jump out of my speakers. Not this tune though. It's just too smooth. The only method for it to travel was to either ooze out, or spray out in a fine mist.
It is clear to my ears that the person behind this jam knows how to arrange sounds properly. The way the synth sounds pans from the left to right speaker spun me up in the best way. Unfortunately the person throwing down the rap words seemed a little timid. Especially when stacked up agains that powerhouse background singing. Which if I can say it at least one more time. That singer in the chorus, I am assuming it is Maria Isabel from the name of the song. Gosh she had me replaying this song almost four times over.
The mind behind this song has the means to put together a real impressive sound. I hope they keep on doing that.
4/7
Ok. The music: Lovely. The backup vocals: enchanting. But the delivery of the lyrics felt lackluster, "half-hearted" even. It felt too monotone. Also, the random drop at 2:08 (intentional or not) really threw me, but I was pulled back in by those delicious, woozy sounds. Honestly, this song had a lot going for it, opening with such a lovely reverb and ethereal quality, but it lacks a certain panache. Nevertheless, there’s something beautiful in the production and handling of it, and I would love to see what else he has up his sleeve.
4/7
Dreamy jazz rap is how I would probably categorize this song. Excellent composition and memorable lyrics add to the listening experience. The addition of that female singer makes the song feel complete to me. Her voice is hypnotic and adds such a nice quality to the song. I look forward to hearing what else this artist is going to produce.
6/7