Single Review: Obsessed

Although Iveta & Simone have been around for a few years, this single is the first time I have come across them. When it commenced, I felt we were in for some sort of electronic dance music, but I soon realized that in many ways they remind me much more of the Eighties band Yazoo. For those who don’t remember them, they were a duo comprised of former Depeche Mode keyboard player Vince Clarke and singer Alison Moyet, and what made them really stand out from the rest of the synth bands around at the time was that not only did they have great tunes, but Alison could sing, really sing. This mix of an amazing singer with great melodic electronic hooks was very different indeed, and that is exactly what we have here.

Iveta & Simone both have great voices, and one of the things that really makes this song stand out for me is the way they drop into a lower register for the chorus – here is a place where one would normally expect female singers to go high, but while there is a lightness and fragility within the verse, the chorus is very different indeed. The contrast is significant, really giving the song a totally different feel. They are not always singing in harmony, sometimes the voices are solo, and as they have been working together for some time they instinctively know where to be. During the final chorus one of them sings over the top, voice just slightly cracking with emotion, which provides yet another facet. The only thing which lets this is down is the musical arrangement, as I would have preferred a quite different approach, as the programmed drums and bass are basic, and the drums are too far forward in the mix. One can imagine this as a guitar-led pop rock ballad of some force, and it will be interesting to see where they go in the future.