Neon Radiation – “Do You See Me?” Feat. Lizzy Allen
Neon Radiation – “Do You See Me?” Feat. Lizzy Allen – Single Review
Crazy…would ya look at that, it’s nearly been a year & a half since we last featured Neon Radiation up on our pages in a review here…which seems really odd for a name that always seems to be at the forefront of my mind, ever since first hearing this project of Gary Blake’s even further back in time, all the way to 2018. I mean, the proof is right there in the latest episode of the SBS Podcast where I’m still spinning that same exact tune, “Underdog,” loud & proud to make sure every person I can tell & get to listen knows about that single and its subsequent series of incredible remixes. Great minds think alike I suppose…who knows how this mental link we’ve got connects, but clearly both sides were thinking about each other, because here Neon Radiation is now, with a brand-new cut called “Do You See Me?” featuring singer Lizzy Allen, that has all kinds of vibrant & lively digitalized grooves to check out and keep the party goin.’
Sometimes you just have to trust the process and know that your ears will catch up. I know far better than to simply type up a review on a single spin through any song or album, because if that’s all I did, I’d be missing out on so many things that music has to offer and a whole lot of depth in the songwriting out there. I’m actually a firm believer that a lot of the music I love most makes me ask the most questions, especially at the very beginning of listening for those first impressions & spins – sometimes, things don’t even make sense when a band or artist will switch up their direction, style, or sound. The thing is, it’s actually on us…to trust the process…and to have faith in artists out there that embrace their creativity in ways that can often be beyond our own comprehension…at least at first. I mean, if you spin something over and over and over and it still doesn’t make sense to ya, then of course, stop banging your head against the wall – not every piece of a puzzle is always cut to fit, and personal tastes are varied to begin with. But if you DO have the opportunity to let a song sink in…even if you don’t think you’ve fully gotten it all on those first couple spins, you might just find by the third or fourth, you feel the polar opposite of how you did when you started to listen. “Do You See Me?” was a bit like that for me in some respects – I’d say a good three-quarters of this cut LEAPED outta my speakers and straight into my face-holes with ease & zero resistance…but there were some harmonies that seemed a bit puzzling at first as well, and the third line of each verse made such a dramatic drop in the melody pattern & demands of the tone that it all seemed like an odd fit on my first couple spins. Then…just like I’ve claimed…the magic starts to happen and you appreciate how the power of a real hook and uniqueness in tandem really work – it’s not always going to make sense at the beginning…but that’s quite often the sign of what’s actually NEW – and it’s completely because we’ve never heard it, that it takes a moment or two to adjust to the idea. Presuming we can – just like we can with “Do You See Me?” – then ultimately, in my opinion…you know you’ve got a song that’s significantly special…a single with the power to pull you right onboard, and potentially even change minds completely from their first impressions, to something totally different within a mere couple spins. With so much awesomeness surrounding anything you might remotely question anyhow, you’ll find it really takes no time at all to go from that quick adjustment on our end as listeners, to adjusting your volume and turning “Do You See Me?” right up to the rafters where a jam such as this deserves to be! It gets to the point where, after a while you begin to wonder what it was you ever even questioned to begin with, you dig? That’s how these scenarios go. Once we’ve made that adjustment in how we listen & accept something, it becomes part of who we are, laced into the fabric of our DNA from then on, but like it’s been a part of us all along somehow. You might actually get to the point where you have to wonder about how you once wondered about why it didn’t add up at first, yet now it does, so readily & easily…almost daring yourself to untie all the things your brain has just tied together to make something new not only make sense, but understand how you got addicted to it!
For the most part, it’s pretty meta to examine a song like this anyhow…chances are, the vast majority of people listening will have no problems at all diving right into this shiny & sensational set of vibes that Neon Radiation is rockin’ with, without any hesitation at all – I’d readily confirm that this track immediately stands out with glistening sound & vibrant personality on display throughout the music AND the vocals – the very first moments you’ll hear Lizzy, you know that she’s a great choice. Design wise when it comes to the melody, it may or may not throw ya for a bit of a loop at first, but I’ve made my case for why that’s a good thing, possibly even great thing, if it does. Eventually, I think we all come around to the same conclusion here…”Do You See Me?” is one heck of a fun jam and wildly entertaining single, with a ton of hooks & appeal, and the kind of uniqueness that’ll still stand out on repeat & hold up over time. Neon Radiation & Lizzy are movin’ & shakin’ on “Do You See Me?” and give you plenty of radiant neon (see what I did there?) vibes in the mix to enjoy on what’s truly an impeccably produced tune when it comes right down to it. Those horns in the mix Gary! Those FANTASTIC horns my dude! Chef’s kiss brother-man – they threaten to steal this show almost every single time I listen to this tune, and they’re competing with quite a lot in the process to do so. Lizzy most specifically…who seems to get more & more addictive the more you listen to her sing this song. Like I’ve been saying from the start here…trust the process…let your ears do this listening…they’ll come around quickly to confirm that this is a collaboration that indeed, works really well together, and that “Do You See Me?” is a pretty supreme single all-around when the dust settles and you have a chance to absorb the whole experience. It’s playful, it’s fun, it’s sweet – don’t overthink things like I tend to. I can promise ya that the more you listen, the more stellar it becomes…and that’s really not a bad kind of quality to have in a single at all I’d say.
“Do You See Me?” will be available everywhere online on April 16th this year – and word on the street is that there’s a self-titled Neon Radiation record coming out two weeks right after that. Clear out some space on your playlists and mark your calendars folks…if things end up like they did with this single here, Neon Radiation sounds like they’ll be bringin’ serious heat & a whole lotta fun to put the sizzle in your speakers for the summer ahead.
Listen to Neon Radiation at Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1F59MfIZRRrFIB3XAo5IO6
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