Radio Airplay Song Review: Headspace by Winter French
Reviewed by Mary Wildsmith
Overall Impression:
Headspace, a new track by the innovative, differently abled artist Winter French, is a whole mellow mood, an empowering anthem about being honest and unyielding with your boundaries and needs, even, and especially, when it comes to the people you love most. French makes his case for individuality and mental health with brilliant wordplay, piercing insight, and an unforgettably memorable refrain, strung together over unhurried instrumentals for a quirky, compelling, and lovable jam.
Strongest Point(s):
French's lyrical play gives Headspace its heart and soul, with profound imagery that promotes the narrator's adamant autonomy, while maintaining a sense of tender affection, making it clear that the song's goal is not malicious in any way, but simply putting down a strong stake in standing up for oneself. Phrases such as "I hear you calling my name When you need somewhere to stay But you've got baggage to claim," "I'll need some Headspace when the bombs start to boom I'd let you in except I'm all out of room," and "I said lock up when you leave But you moved in instead" drip with wit and perception, outlining the natural conflict between one's own needs, and those of others inside a relationship, drawing a clear line in a matter-of-fact sort of way, without coming across as overly hostile. Vocally, Winter French is relaxed and unrestrained, contributing to the song's overall positive feel, with reverb that echoes like a subtle reference to the space (or lack there of) in the singer's mind. The song's core melody is undeniably catchy, likely to hang with audiences for quite some time, with an appropriately low-key guitar part that keeps the song's lyrics front and center, and a touch and go syncopation that matches the narrator's uncomfortable, off-kilter situation.
Conclusive Statement:
Headspace is a truly interesting track, brimming with intelligence and optimism, great content, and a solid overall feel... Thank you for sharing, looking forward to hearing more in the future!
Target Audience Appeal:
With draw in Pop, Indie, and Singer-Songwriter genres, Headspace is a cool listen with solid themes! Perfect as a low-key groove for listeners trying to unwind or searching for inspiration, it would be equally comfortable in the car, on a run, or hanging at home, and could also be interesting featured on a podcast, or as a musical highlight on a show, particularly if there was room for French to talk a little on the song's inspiration, themes, and backstory.
Artist target suggestions:
Jack Johnson, John Mayer, Alessia Cara, Amos Lee, Trevor Hall, Andy Grammer, Harry Styles, Uncle Kracker
About the Reviewer:
Mary Wildsmith is an FM Radio DJ, and has been involved in both on-air work and radio production for five and a half years, in addition to working the past decade in and out of the live entertainment industry. She has experience with the fickle nature of the music industry, selecting singles to promote or discard for radio play, and engineering stage to audience sound systems. Having worked balancing, troubleshooting, and running audio rigs has enabled her to be both sensitive, and sympathetic, to the finesse and nuance of quality recording. Mary is passionate about promoting new and independent artists, and has spent extensive time in round-table environments discussing music and audio critically, and collaborating with artists to enable them to put the best possible foot forward with their art.
Vocals: Strength
Lyrics: Strength
Instrumental Performance/Execution: Strength
Melody/Rhythm: Strength
Arrangement/Flow: Strength
Recording Quality/Overall Mix: Neutral
Overall Impression:
Headspace, a new track by the innovative, differently abled artist Winter French, is a whole mellow mood, an empowering anthem about being honest and unyielding with your boundaries and needs, even, and especially, when it comes to the people you love most. French makes his case for individuality and mental health with brilliant wordplay, piercing insight, and an unforgettably memorable refrain, strung together over unhurried instrumentals for a quirky, compelling, and lovable jam.
Strongest Point(s):
French's lyrical play gives Headspace its heart and soul, with profound imagery that promotes the narrator's adamant autonomy, while maintaining a sense of tender affection, making it clear that the song's goal is not malicious in any way, but simply putting down a strong stake in standing up for oneself. Phrases such as "I hear you calling my name When you need somewhere to stay But you've got baggage to claim," "I'll need some Headspace when the bombs start to boom I'd let you in except I'm all out of room," and "I said lock up when you leave But you moved in instead" drip with wit and perception, outlining the natural conflict between one's own needs, and those of others inside a relationship, drawing a clear line in a matter-of-fact sort of way, without coming across as overly hostile. Vocally, Winter French is relaxed and unrestrained, contributing to the song's overall positive feel, with reverb that echoes like a subtle reference to the space (or lack there of) in the singer's mind. The song's core melody is undeniably catchy, likely to hang with audiences for quite some time, with an appropriately low-key guitar part that keeps the song's lyrics front and center, and a touch and go syncopation that matches the narrator's uncomfortable, off-kilter situation.
Conclusive Statement:
Headspace is a truly interesting track, brimming with intelligence and optimism, great content, and a solid overall feel... Thank you for sharing, looking forward to hearing more in the future!
Target Audience Appeal:
With draw in Pop, Indie, and Singer-Songwriter genres, Headspace is a cool listen with solid themes! Perfect as a low-key groove for listeners trying to unwind or searching for inspiration, it would be equally comfortable in the car, on a run, or hanging at home, and could also be interesting featured on a podcast, or as a musical highlight on a show, particularly if there was room for French to talk a little on the song's inspiration, themes, and backstory.
Artist target suggestions:
Jack Johnson, John Mayer, Alessia Cara, Amos Lee, Trevor Hall, Andy Grammer, Harry Styles, Uncle Kracker
About the Reviewer:
Mary Wildsmith is an FM Radio DJ, and has been involved in both on-air work and radio production for five and a half years, in addition to working the past decade in and out of the live entertainment industry. She has experience with the fickle nature of the music industry, selecting singles to promote or discard for radio play, and engineering stage to audience sound systems. Having worked balancing, troubleshooting, and running audio rigs has enabled her to be both sensitive, and sympathetic, to the finesse and nuance of quality recording. Mary is passionate about promoting new and independent artists, and has spent extensive time in round-table environments discussing music and audio critically, and collaborating with artists to enable them to put the best possible foot forward with their art.
Vocals: Strength
Lyrics: Strength
Instrumental Performance/Execution: Strength
Melody/Rhythm: Strength
Arrangement/Flow: Strength
Recording Quality/Overall Mix: Neutral