California – “Willin”
California – “Willin” – Single Review
Alrighty…another track from California, the band, not the state, appearing here on our Canadian-based pages. You might even remember this very same tune from the review I’d written on California’s album California Loves You back in January 2023…and hopefully you do, because I don’t really tend to deviate too much from things I’ve put in print, so you betcha…I pretty much feel the same about it now as I did then. You’re welcome to read my past thoughts on this song, along with the other tracks on the record, by clicking right here.
The question becomes…what else, if anything, can I tell you about it now? I run into these situations and scenarios from time to time where someone will attempt to sneak a song in twice…and more often than not, it’s not a case of being forgetful or not realizing I’ve already written something in the past, it’s usually about one question the artists in question actually want answered: “Will he remember?” While I can’t always say I’ve passed that test, I think I usually do…but in any of those scenarios, it’s not really about whether or not my faltering memory can recall the information so much as whether or not you’ve got yourself a tune that’s genuinely memorable. In the case of “Willin” – sure! I remember this. To be honest with you, hearing it for the first time is still fresh enough on the inside of six months since I listened to California Loves You…so admittedly, it’s not reaching back into the furthest recesses of my mind exactly – but to be fair to California and to Loretta & Les Fradkin, the melody is one you’ll remember. Much like I wrote about in the initial review, that main aspect of what makes it memorable is right there in the chorus of this track where the title is revealed – where Les sings “when I’m willing” – simple and plain as that to be truthful with ya, that’s the main magical hook, and the main strength of the heart in this song. As for the rest surrounding it…there are some moments I can appreciate…like the sentiment in the lyricism, I can dig that, even if I don’t really love the words of this tune as much. “Willin” is largely about doing whatever it takes to be with the one you love…it’d be hard to complain about that…I think anyone out there that has experienced a relationship as powerful as Les and Loretta have would certainly understand the perspective and point of view that a song like this single puts forth.
Where I’d encourage Les and Loretta to dig deeper, and where “Willin” stumbles a bit for me in its lyrics, is when you’ve got a rhyme scheme that can appear too rigid and inflexible, like in what you’d probably have to consider to be the second chorus of this single, which ends in “pad,” “sad,” and “glad.” On the bright side of the scenario, these thoughts are clearly communicated in a way that absolutely everybody can understand them. On the other side of the coin, I think there’s definitely an argument to be made that Les & Loretta are capable of being more expressive and vivid with the language itself…words can be a tantalizing reason to listen, but they can’t be boiled down to the basics if that’s gonna be the case. So while, yes, the sentiment of this love song certainly transfers and translates from one side of the speakers to the other and that’s inarguably effective songwriting, all I’m saying is that there’s plenty of room for more – and that they should want to take on that challenge. As I’ve often said on these pages of ours, one moment in a song can really conquer all…we can look past many things we might not like or love as much, simply based on what we dig the most – and I feel like that’s the case a bit here on “Willin.” I like that main line of the hook, “when I’m willing” so much, that I can usually overlook the rest of what I’m not as jazzed about. Like the drums for instance…the main beat was fine, but there’s not a whole lot of variation in the sound itself, and it can be a bit too rambunctious like fireworks when it comes to the fills, which could be the intention of its pattern & design. I wasn’t always completely sure it was the right fit for the song, which is usually an indication that it’s probably not in my opinion. Anyhow. There’s some great stuff in here…California seems to have a solid grip on the kind of sound they want to put out there, and while it’s got an undeniable throwback element to it, the last I checked, love-songs have never really gone out of style. Sung well, played well, the concept certainly has its heart in the right place…as to whether or not it’s considered to be a complete song, or one that merely has some magic contained in moments along the way, I’ll tell ya what I told ya at the start – it’s memorable.
Find out more about California from the official page at Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Californialesfradkin
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