Have a listen to “A Kiss” by The Driver Era here.

One thing I like about the Spotify recommendation playlist style of music consumption is the anonymity of an artist. If I’m listening to a playlist of recommendations, I’m very unlikely to follow through to see what an artist or band looks like. If I like a song I’ll have a look at their name and song title. It takes a little bit of time and regular listening for me to follow up and check their Wikipedia or their social media.

As a result of these playlists, I hear songs like “A Kiss” by The Driver Era and give it a chance. The band’s singer, Ross Lynch, is a Disney Channel kid and played Harvey in Netflix’s “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina”. I’m not that bothered by the Disney connection, but that Sabrina show was tough going. If I’d seen Harvey’s dazed dopey head bopping around to “A Kiss” I would have turned it off pretty quick.

It’s a cool song though and I’m glad I gave it a go. Lynch’s voice doesn’t sound like it should come out of him and it’s highlighted by the fact that he talks in the background of the song and it sounds like a completely different person. I’m not sure if it’s a voice that’s put on but it works in this song. The bass drives the song along and it’s mostly backed by keys. There’s a lot to the production, extra keyboards and I think there’s multiple drum tracks in there. Sometimes, it’s interesting to hear alternative versions of a song to understand what you like about it. Having listened to an acoustic version, it’s easier to place what’s so good in the standard version. There’s a fullness to the sound and the bass complements Lynch’s voice. There’s a pace and groove to it that puts it into a category of alternative rock songs that you could dance to, which is important to me. And of course, I always love a classic sing along “na na na na na”.