Claire Michele – “Star Signs”
Claire Michele – “Star Signs” – Single Review
Ayyyy – I love a real debut!
Unless she’s got something buried deep somewhere in the darkest corners of the internet that I haven’t checked out, then from what I can tell, “Star Signs” is the first solo track that singer/songwriter Claire Michele has put out into this world we’re livin’ in. From what I’ve read, she’s been basically immersed in all-things-music from about the time she was knee-high to a grasshopper, as the old saying goes – she’s got the whole upbringing in a musical family to guide her, and spent time playing violin & guitar as well. Apparently she’s published some kind of something by around the age of fourteen according to her bio online, but I’m not entirely sure what that was or where you’d find it…but anyhow…I suppose I digress – I’m here to review her new song “Star Signs” and not her whole life in this one review. Plenty of time to get into the rest as she continues to grow into her own and find her way to the tops of your playlists.
So what do I personally hear on “Star Signs?” Pretty much green lights here y’all. I mean, look – I’m always gonna be the last person to tell ya that an artist or band wouldn’t still have plenty of room to grow and evolve from where they’re at in the case of a debut tune, but make no mistake, at this stage of the game no one should be looking for complete perfection, so much as we should be looking for all the potential and promise of what’s to come. In that respect, Claire’s got plenty. “Star Signs” proves she can hit some impressive notes when she sings, easily hold a tune, and write one that’ll get your attention as well. There are finer details that we can hear, like the insightful use of piano to lead us into this song, or the brilliant harmonics from the guitar flashed along the way as well…the use of inflection as she sings, or drifting off into whispered tones when the song is calling out for it in the melody. She’s clearly thinking about the structure of “Star Signs” and how it can make an impact on listening ears. All that’s great, all that’s positive, and if you were to ask me, I’d tell ya that she’s gonna be just fine as she carries on into the heart of her career ahead based on everything I’ve heard in this debut single here.
Does she have opportunity to continue to refine her craft and skillset from here? Of course! Good lord, I honestly wouldn’t want anyone in her position to not have that! She’s just starting out her career as a professional and it’s only natural that she’s got room to improve on what she’s started with “Star Signs.” There’s not a whole lot I feel like I’d do differently with the song itself…I feel like that came out extremely well for her when it comes to the writing and all that…she should be seriously proud of what she’s already been able to accomplish on that level, and let that skill be what guides her forward from here. Vocally, I think she’s got fantastic potential, some of which is flashed at us perfectly here, and more that I feel is implied for her future on down the road, shown to us through the instincts she has. Like, listen to the spot around the two-minute mark for example. Claire does well there, but if you’re asking me if she’s going to be able to crush that spot in two or three years with more confidence and experience under her belt, the answer’s gonna be an obvious, enthusiastic YES. I don’t think I’d change much in the verses…I like the gear she’s in and she gets great doses of melody in her vocals. Even the hooks, she’s delivering with the quality you’d wanna hear. That spot heading into the two-minute mark though…she knows that’s her time to shine – that’s the spot you wanna hear an artist go from good to great based on the writing and structure. Like I said, she’s holding her own, she does really well with it – but…that’s the spot you can hear a track like “Star Signs” being on the early side of her career…I’m tellin’ ya with full confidence that the more she continues to sing this song, that specific moment will go on to be a point in a show that’ll leave listeners speechless and spellbound when she hits it with full power. It takes us all way longer than we’d like to tap into the complete potential we have, especially in the case of singers…but hearing how close she is to that superstar caliber already should be totally encouraging.
On a technical level…would I put her a bit further in front of the music than she is? I might. I might be tempted to do that, but I wouldn’t say she’s too far within the mix as it currently is. Songwriting, words, and melody…all that’s aces…like I said, I’m stoked on the promise and potential she’s got for sure. The more she continues to commit to her craft and all that she can do…the more that she believes in her voice and her ability to really belt it out…the further she’s gonna go, and the quicker she’ll go on to be the superstar we can hear is implied in the way she performs “Star Signs.” Claire has clearly got the real desire it takes to make music, and I LOVE that we can hear that already this early on into her career – she gives us every reason to believe that she’s got a very bright future ahead of her based on this debut.
Find out more about Claire Michele at her official website at: https://clairemichelemusic.com
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