Song Review - GIVVEN - Losing Colours
REVIEW BY: Camille Penrose
GIVVEN has released the title single from their upcoming EP, Losing Colours. The trio composed of producer Adrian Held, singer/songwriter Jordan Haller and sound engineer Nikodem Milewski, write music from their “parents’ basement in the suburbs of Toronto” according to their Soundcloud. However, when you hear their new track, you certainly wouldn’t have assumed it was produced in a dingy Canadian basement. Losing Colours is a creative, soulful piece that is vibrant in texture, and has delightfully crisp production.
Haller’s raspy tone immediately starts the piece and is reminiscent of vocalist Sam Smith’s smooth melodies. Like their previous songs, Losing Colours is an electronic piece that relies on various synths and computerised lines to create strong, groovy beats. However, GIVVEN’s newest track is distinctly mellow and stripped back compared to their previous work. It takes a brave, artistic step forward to creating a more cohesive narrative within their music. A simple walking line paces the piece, but its high pitch and fast speed seems to represent the anxiety surrounding a relationship that the song explores.
Losing Colours symbolises feeling drained by a relationship, platonic or romantic. The distorted vocal line creates a distance or confusion with the listener, representative of the loss of clarity within the relationship. Haller moodily sings “wake me up and tell me it’s not true/I’ve been seeing greys instead of blues”, signalling a loss of passion for a person. The lyrics consistently paint visceral images of complex heartbreak, “some days wanna stay in bed when I’m dreaming you’ll come back”. As the guitar line joins in at the first chorus to accompany these images, you’re transported to another world, where you can immerse yourself in bittersweet feelings of warm melancholy.
The whole piece is quite understated and allows Haller’s unique vocals to take the spotlight. With minimal accompaniment, the listener can really invest in the storytelling that occurs lyrically, whilst still remembering the catchy chorus (which you will find yourself singing in the car and shower). The track is sleek, and each change in pace or melody is deliberate, signifying a shift in emotion.
As the song closes it becomes clearer that the narrator is a lover scorned, placing blame on their partner for their sadness, or loss of colour. The ending also briefly pays ode to Haller’s beautiful falsetto in some background adlibs that sound like cries in the distance, closed off by a simple guitar line.
Losing Colours is a brave choice for GIVVEN to tell more of a story lyrically whilst still relying on atmospheric tones. This tune is stripped back compared to their typical work, creating a more personal piece that will stick with listeners long-term. I’ll be keen to see if their upcoming EP sticks to this new trend.
