aaamusic | On 18, Dec 2011

Well here’s something that I was not expecting. Torpedo’s ‘Waiting For The Fall’ is probably most comparable to Peter Murphy: a slice of minimalist gothic pop with heavy debts to The Cure and Kraftwerk as well as David Bowie and Interpol. Cheerful pop hooks jostle on the synths and glitter-coated drum loops, alongside a gloomy bass and sombre vocals, and the lyrical equivalent of a rainy December morning reading poetry. At a 1980s dance club. The Euro-pop chorus backing vocals grate a little, but in all honesty, despite the dubious press release I find myself genuinely getting a kick out of what is an incredibly well-crafted pop song, with excellent hooks and an accessible, danceable and genuinely charming sound from start to end. What took me even more by surprise is that Sharam Jey’s ‘dub’ reworking of the track is palatable – a sensitive touch to the instrumental track that brings out new layers of synth nuance but at the same time lifts the drum loops and changes in mood to create a whole other level of sparkle that would suit dancefloors from pop to dance and back again. Then it is the radio edit, which again should be superfluous, but the immediacy of it compared to the extra minute of slow buildup on the original track gives it a real pop gratification kick, even if it means the listener does have to put up with an introductory burst of those vocals, thankfully dropped later on. Extra emphasis is placed upon the vocals in the mix, and the result is a version that if it came onto the radio in a shop, I would genuinely keep an ear out for a mention of the song title and artist.

This is, without a doubt, one of the finest things I have encountered that falls within the margins of a mainstream pop song. Despite pretensions of “indie”, a now near-meaningless subgenre, Torpedo can and should find widespread acclaim with a fine ear for songwriting and a clear crossover potential.

 

Katie H-Halinski