Big Sexy – “Here We Are” / “She’s Leaving Early, She’s Working Late”

Big Sexy – “Here We Are” / “She’s Leaving Early, She’s Working Late” – Single Review

Okay so…wait…”Here We Are” comes out on October 31^st?  This is like…the least scary song out there ain’t it?  Putting it out on the ONE day of the year where everyone expects to be spooked or creeped out – nay…delaying it until then – I mean…I’m no marketing genius but that seems like…misguided maybe?

Maybe what’s really scary is that, after all this time…Big Sexy might be making their first big misstep.

Whoa, whoa, whoa – calm yourselves down – I said MIGHT BE.  You’re gonna be the judge and jury on all that…I’m merely speculating.  Because…look…I’m still gonna tell you that Gary and Alex have done a solid job with their performance and it’s clear to me that they’ve still brought their high standards to this single in that regard…that’s the positives, and I think they’ve earned the right for us to expect as much from them.  Whether it’s been “The Disposable Man,” or “Pretty Girl Blues,” or more recently with the release of “Michigan” earlier this year, this duo seems to have no problem producing results when it comes time to push record, and ultimately, I still think that holds true now with “Here We Are”…there’s just less of a song here is all.  So it’s one of those things – I’m about as objective as a reviewer can possibly be, and I’ll tell you the facts as best I can hear’em – they play this track as well as it could have been done, but I’m not entirely sure that this one is goin’ very far.  If I’m wrong, you’ll tell me I’m sure (because it’s the internet) – but more importantly, you’ll let Big Sexy know through your response to it, and they’ll be able to see over the course of time whether or not I’m right.  My gut is usually pretty reliable when it comes to this stuff…I don’t know if y’all have noticed, but I’ve written one or two reviews during my time in the scene.

So what would I tell you is the hold up here?  It gives me no pleasure to say this, but almost all of it if I’m being real with ya.  At its very best, this would likely end up being a deep cut on a record…you know, the songs that typically aren’t released as singles, that we eventually come back to long after we burn out all that radio-friendly material, desperate to find more of what we love and squeeze the last juice out of an album.  I don’t know if I’d even advise that though if I’m being truthful to you – “Here We Are” sounds like a song in search of direction.  It has a few small bright spots to be found in the vocal melody and in the music…and the pre-chorus is probably the strongest moment if we’re looking at hooks.  I’m not saying that “Here We Are” is entirely devoid of substance either…lyrically, you can hear that Gary has woven together a tributary track that has meaning to it, and for many listeners, obviously that counts for a lot.  If we’re talkin’ about the mainstream though…guys…I’m hearing nothing but obstacles.  From how the song doesn’t quite end up sounding like it belongs to any particular genre, to how the lyrics don’t quite dig in deep enough, to the lack of big moments from the vocals and/or the kind of hooks that listeners would consider to be memorable, to the structure being overtly drawn out or unnecessarily complex, to what feels like a lack of that essential spark that would make us come back to repeat the experience all over again…I’m tellin’ ya Big Sexy, you’re about to be fighting an uphill battle with this one.  As always, you’re more than welcome to prove me wrong – I’m all for it, unlikely as it may truly be.

What I do hear in this track, are good intentions…and for sure, I wish that counted for more in the court of public opinion than I know it does.  “Our hearts beat in rhythm with the joy of a soldier comin’ home” is the main hook you’ll hear, and to be completely fair, there’s a place for that within the military realm – they’d love to hear something like that.  As to whether or not that will stimulate the kind of success that Big Sexy is looking for in putting out a new single…again, time will tell if they can trust my gut or not.  At the very least, I’ve told’em the truth as I hear it.  I’m just a hair above a complete abandon ship with “Here We Are” when it comes right down to it.  I love a great performance as much as anyone else does I’m sure – and once more, to be crystal clear, I don’t think you’ll find either Gary or Alex dropping the ball in any significant way when it comes to how they play their parts in Big Sexy – I just don’t think that “Here We Are” contains any of the most crucial elements a single needs to connect with the people out there potentially listening.  If they wanna go the flag-wavin’ route and present this as a song that they could use for military proceedings from celebrations to services, I’m sure there’s a possibility they could get this in there…but as far as mass consumption is concerned, I’m just not hearing a gateway in.

Some days are gold, some days are gravy…and as creators, we don’t always know which direction we’re headed in.  That’s where us critical types come in, to shatter expectations with truth bombs or a brutally objective opinion that might bring you down to earth…but sometimes those moments are needed in order to be able to not become too complacent and shake things up for the future ahead when things appear to be stagnant.  Obviously Gary and Alex have a ton of passion for what they do…you can always hear that in their music, and “Here We Are” is still no exception to that rule for this duo…I genuinely believe they’ve done all they can with the material, but it’s the material that’s dragging them down a bit more than they’re going to want to acknowledge here.  It’s got a songwriter’s touch to it, which can be a good thing for some…like, you can hear the craft…but from my perspective, this is wildly disconnected from what people listen to, how people listen to music, and what they need to get out of it.  Which is weird, because fundamentally, we’re all consumers at the end of the day…we all listen to music and it all comes from somewhere…so it can be strange to come across a single like this that seems so far outside of the realm of what listeners are looking for.  Doesn’t make it bad song…doesn’t mean it might not speak to you…doesn’t mean that THEY shouldn’t LOVE what they’ve put so much effort into either – all I’m doing is tempering expectations before their Halloween release…”Here We Are” is going to be a tough sell to the masses with its mid-tempo melancholy, bittersweet demeanor, and more involved hooks than listeners are typically looking for within a single.  As always, if I’m the bad guy for pointing this stuff out, I gotta live with it and be comfortable with it…it’s how they know I mean what I say when I tell them their stuff is great as well…I write down how I feel, and I stand behind the things that I say.  I’m always hoping that next song or record sounds fantastic…I’m not here to make things up outta whole cloth, but I am here to be the voice of reason when no one else will be.  I know that Big Sexy has more in them than we’re hearing on “Here We Are,” but give’em time…every band and artist you’ve ever heard has gone through the ups and downs that naturally occur within a career, and any setback is usually what’s needed before a breakthrough.  They’ve got all the right pieces to succeed and they’re a highly talented duo – so if you hear something go sideways for a minute, don’t fret, they’ll come back stronger.

Case in-point, I didn’t mind “She’s Leaving Early, She’s Working Late” by comparison…ultimately, everything I’ve cited about “Here We Are” that felt like it was somewhat missing, is here.  I think there’s an argument to be made that there’s more of a meaningful message at the core of “Here We Are,” but I felt like in terms of what people would happily listen to, “She’s Leaving Early, She’s Working Late” has all those important ingredients.  The hooks are much more tangible, the performances sound that much more inspired…it might still be a bit of a stretch for “She’s Leaving Early, She’s Working Late” to carry the badge of being a single, but it’s a quality tune.  Gary’s got highlight moments on the microphone, and the music is a solid hybrid with a brightness to it that people will respond to.  You see what I was saying?  Big Sexy is never going to be the kind of band that’ll miss too many times in a row, if they ever do at all.  “She’s Leaving Early, She’s Working Late” has the band sounding like they’re fully dialed into what they do best…it’s vibrant, it’s alive, it’s a fantastic representation of their style.  It’s never a surprise to me when material built with the right foundation can bring out the best in an artist or band, in fact, I reckon it makes sense, don’t it?  Big Sexy hits the chorus hooks of “She’s Leaving Early, She’s Working Late” with full strength and the conviction of a band that believes in their material…exactly how you’d hope to hear’em sound, and precisely what we expect to hear from them, as fans.

Find out more about Big Sexy from their official multi-link at:  https://linktr.ee/alexgoroshko8

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