aaamusic | On 17, Aug 2010

The lack of drums at the start of She Fell In Love With Silence (by Lostboy! AKA Jim Kerr) initially confused me. I figured that with the driving percussive bassline, slightly distorted guitar and synthpop-esque pads, the drums were an oh so natural progression. However I was instead greeted by deep, husky vocals which I can only compare to a slightly younger Jyrki 69 singing with The Human League as the backing band. The lyrics of the song often bounce back to the “Fell In Love” theme, but as a force to drive to push the song through it does nicely. A little more variety in the vocals would have been very welcome, particularly in terms of harmony or countermelodies. Kerr’s voice has the potential for some excellent daring solo work, with its soothing texture and pitch he could definitely give it more to do than it receives in this song. That said, even in the simple form they stand in, the vocals suit perfectly the genre and add to the song as a whole. The drums when they enter are (as expected) a Human League style synth-sounding set, with a fitting rhythm and excellent use of the snare. The synthesizer patch used in the solo is a touch on the wrong side of vibrato-laden, however again this is perfectly acceptable as it adds nicely to the overall piece. I think the clincher for me here was when I went away from writing this for a bit to get a coffee, and spent the entire time singing “she fell in love with silence, fell in love again”! I enjoyed this song immensely, though it did take a little getting used to, and would be happy to hear it in a DJ set or live any day!

On the side, the two remixes by Simon Hayward and Farfletched respectively both really have a lot going for them. With both taking the song in different directions, listening to them one after another provides a lovely contrast I could enjoy any time. The Simon Hayward remix takes “She Fell In Love…” down a slightly industrial-sounding route with new synth sounds, a less percussive bass and more complex drum line. This leads to a more encompassing sound best played with large speakers or headphones with a good bass boost. The Farfletched remix moves the song into a slightly electro/Pendulum direction, making excellent use of glitching, off beat basses and a chord pattern reminiscent of those used by Rob Dougan in Clubbed to Death. Overall these remixes offset the original song wonderfully and lead to a well rounded release by Lostboy! AKA Jim Kerr.

Author: Francis Windram