Candy Riot – Only You (2022)
After you have casually seen someone for a while, your feelings may start to deepen, leading you to consider monogamy. This moment has been captured by Candy Riot and turned into their aptly titled single ‘Only You’. Using their usual pop stylings woven into synth-rock movements, the band brings their take on this moment and where it can lead.
Packing retro vibes into their synth-rock sound, they use some dance beats and vocal harmonies to get you moving to their rhythm as you fall into their lyrical tales. The single is the first off their upcoming album Moonstar which is set for release later this year. Bobby Cheatham and Liz Feezor are the duo behind the sound, drawing on the influence of pop and rock greats for their sound.
‘Only You’ grabs your attention with distant beats that slowly rise in volume, before the retro vibes hit you. The thrumming strum meets the matching beats that pound against your chest for a packed movement. The warble of synths continues the retro vibes, before the rock tones growl through the electronic tones. There is a wonderfully dynamic flow to the melody as it moves from retro synth-pop to a modern synth-rock that shakes up your senses. The beats keep you guessing about where they are going to land, only to bounce around your chest. As you listen to the melody, you are going to be moving to the rhythm, whether that is bopping your head or swaying to the rhythm. Later in the track, the music takes over for the perfect blending of retro and modern synth-rock.
As the melody brings a stunning blend of modern and retro to our ears, the vocals tilt toward the retro side. Cheatham’s vocals open his performance with a realisation that you are catching feelings and falling for someone. This turns into a consideration of wanting to be with this person only and not quite knowing where they stand on this. There is a rather heady emotional flow to the single as you sometimes feel like you are out of your depth, only to rise above the waters of the melody with a sense of conviction. This is all woven into some serious 80s vibes and vocal harmonies that are a pleasure to listen to.
Candy Riot blend retro pop stylings with modern synth-rock as they consider falling for someone and not knowing where the other stands in ‘Only You’. The melody is a wonderful merger of retro and modern synth rock and pop that gets you moving in a variety of ways. While the vocals lean toward the retro side, they are captivating as they pull you into the thoughts and emotions of the lyrics.
Find out more about Candy Riot on their Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
