“Time Bomb” comes in two
distinct mixes, the radio DJ and club cuts, and both pack one hell of a wallop
in different ways. One characteristic distinguishing both versions is the five
star production focusing the musical elements of each song in such a way that
everything works in concert rather than listeners experiencing the feeling of
different sounds and instruments pulling against each other or working at cross
purposes. The club mix is very uptempo, but backs off the pace at a handful of
points in a way generating tremendous momentum for the next passage and the
effect is quite good for listeners.
Electronic instruments dominate the club
mix, certainly not unexpectedly, but they are always presented in such a way
that it never feels overwrought – the mixes are very different from one
another, but one common approach linking them is how muscular both takes are in
approaching AV’s musical ideas. They come leaping to life in the club mix and
it isn’t hard to hear how appreciative listeners and audiences across the world
will be to hear this version.
Unlike many acts in this vein, there’s never any sense of
Bradford attempting to bury the vocals in order to strengthen the sound of the
electronica. Instead, he wisely keeps them equal throughout much of the performance
and only restructures the singing in a major way during the club version’s
second half. Guitar and melody take on important parts with this mix, although
there isn’t as much emphasis during the club version as we hear with the radio
DJ cut. The club mix is much longer, as well, running over five minutes long,
but we never hear any sense of Bradford overreaching to make an impact on
listeners
.
The radio version of “Time Bomb” shares some of the same
mounting quality we hear in the club mix, but it likewise never comes off
overcooked in any way. The same muscularity makes this work as well, but it
stresses traditional instruments much more than the synthesizer work in the
club version. Despite the quality of the instrumental playing, the key for the
radio version ends up being the strong vocals courtesy of AV’s lead singing
coupled with some strong backing vocals. It’s a much shorter number than the
club take, less than four minutes in comparison to its companion, but both
songs share another quality – the laser-beam push of both versions never wastes
your time and involves listeners from the very beginning.
It’s a performance
designed to have the widest possible appeal, but it’s equally appealing to fans
who’ve been listening to music for years. I’m not even that much of a fan when
it comes to electronic instruments, but this song made me a believer earlier on
and it holds up under repeated listens.
Richard Spradley
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