Single Review: Gin Wigmore – ‘New Rush’
2 min read
New Rush is a statement. It’s been over three years since we heard from the NZ singer-songwriter, and with this track Gin Wigmore says “I’m back.”
This track exudes confidence from the very first kick-drum – we don’t even need to hear Wigmore’s distinctive voice to understand that she means business. That being said, the pulsing drums are diminished to provide space for those strong vocals when they do enter the mix. This momentary lull provides my favourite moment of the entire track: as she holds the last note of the line “I step on you to sip on fire”, there is a kind of ominous energy created through the differing pitches of her vocal harmonies and the pedalling synth.
All that tension is released as Wigmore is joined again by that definitive drumbeat, evolving the track into a sonic juggernaut . The structure of the track is really quite simple. We hear the first vocal section consistently, with a couple of sections featuring a more subdued counter melody to keep things interesting.
If you listen for it, New Rush reflects some changes in Wigmore’s song writing and performance. The more sensitive counter melody shows that her vocals flourish on more than one level; this makes the single different from previous releases like Man Like That where Wigmore was going all out, all of the time. The subtle electronic-sounding vocal harmonies are also really effective; they boost the overall sound and add to the track’s size and complexity.
While New Rush is faithful to Gin Wigmore’s reputation to write menacing riffs and belt out vocals with confidence and attitude, it also showcases some nuances in production and song-writing that suggest her next album Blood to Bone will be one to look forward to.
