Review: Vincent George shares calming new release 'Fever', with a subtle emphasis on mental health
Vincent George spent ten years of his music industry work as a producer alongside talents like Weird Milk and Cusps before delving head-first into his own music. 2021 marks the turning point for this London based indie-pop artist determined to get his message across in every heartfelt new release.
With a few prior singles 'Fallen' and 'Play It Cool' each with their own unique stories attached, his latest song 'Fever' is ready and raring to get placed on all those chilled, staring at the ceiling type playlists made for a warm cup of tea on a late night.
You'd hardly believe 'Fever' was a bedroom project without hearing it from the man himself, yet amazingly this self-produced single was built around downstroke guitar recorded on an iPhone, and 808s from his kitchen. Vincent proves with ease that good music can be made by anyone, anywhere, if you put your mind to perfecting it. As it commences with softened, whimsical notes that fade into the instrumental soundscape you're immediately fed the enchanting aura of the release. As shimmery, high pitch twangs and low-toned quickly strummed guitar sits in the background there's an undeniable sense of euphoric bliss. Vincent's beautiful self-harmonisation and backing vocals also add an extra layer of intimacy that a track so tantalisingly soothing was begging for. All of these elements, even the most subtle of hums, are masterfully paired together in a way that considers every single element of the song and how to best please the listener's ears.
For an absolute mellow dream of a song, it was a pleasant surprise to listen deeper to Vincent's sincere lyricism and how contrastingly deep the words of the release are under surface level. As he candidly discusses how anxiety can cause your mind can spiral out of control, we follow the narrative of an over-worrisome, paranoid mess. Mirroring this story with subtle background lines like 'why would she text me back?' as to replicate the internal anxieties, it's remarkable how delicately Vincent has used elements outside of solely lyricism to portray the protagonist's mental deterioration. With such a soulful, easy-going soundscape you'd expect none of this harsh, down to the bone storytelling yet his boldness in incorporating the two works wonders.
Vincent elaborates more on the storytelling behind 'Fever', explaining that: “Many of us deal with dark thoughts jump into our heads and you have to do your best to bat them away and tell yourself they are just thoughts. That’s the battle going on here.”
It's without a doubt this solo artist is one to keep an eye on with each new release, but not without giving a listen to 'Fever' yourself here as a dreamy experience awaits you.
Written by: Tatiana Whybrow
