Single Review: What We Made

Renowned Auckland pop-rock musician Max Earnshaw is back again with the new single What We Made, released just last week. Muzic.net.nz’s Steve S. pressed play and explored Max’s latest makings!

Ah yes, the topic of a fleeting encounter that sprouts into an impactful relationship. This is something that’s oft-sung about and a lot of people can relate to – The butterflies in one’s stomach, and the joy felt at each others’ presence. Conversely, heard at a similar frequency, are songs that recount the aftermath of when such relationships end, be it a short or long encounter. The song seems to touch on both the beginning and what sounds like an inevitable end. Max sings “I just wanna hold her closer when everything changes, except the past”, hinting at an unexpected outcome, with minor notes of remorse. Sigh. Who hasn’t been there before?

The verses are propped, almost note-for-note and beat-for-beat, by guitar chords, as though the singer is dancing down a bumpy footpath but ends up hopping from one pavement crack to the next. Now, the real reward comes with the chorus, where a delightful explosion of layered guitars, bass and drums swallows you, evoking a wholesome, uplifting and warm atmosphere reminiscent of early 2000’s Britpop. Here, in the choruses, Max’s vocals are enshrouded by the vast soundscape of guitars, making for a welcome embrace, counteracting the verses’ plodding rhythm.

Like the fleeting romance which Max’s lyrics seems to outline, the song begins and finishes without much of a prologue nor an epilogue. Granted, not all songs require an intro or outro, and one must applaud the approach in trying something unconventional. However, with choruses as lush-sounding as they are, one feels the bare strums of guitar chords or even a light drumbeat could have set the mood nicely prior to the vocals kicking in. This would ramp the song up, bridging it between verse and chorus. Similarly, at the conclusion of the song, even four bars of a simple drum rhythm could help bring things to a pleasant-sounding end. But perhaps this is the songwriter trying his hand at something non-traditional – Cutting fringes, keeping the start and end nice and clear.

What We Made is a warm, summery ballad that reflects on a close-ended relationship; a small celebration of one’s youth, with something of a “Ah well, they were good times, let’s move on” philosophy added. The instrumentation, though sparse in certain portions, is astounding to listen to, with the guitar and bass dynamics alone well worth listening to a dozen times over.

Stream Max Earnshaw’s new single What We Made on Soundcloud, Apple Music, YouTube, Spotify, or even better – Purchase on Bandcamp or iTunes!