Single Review: Undercover

Following the success of her earlier releases Like That and Make Believe, Valere is back with her most sincere piece of work to date.

Undercover begins with a choir of synths and swells into the questions “Do you know if your minds made up yet? Do you want my heart?”. It’s a vulnerable question to ask. The verse builds an ethereal soundscape that has come to be associated with Valere’s sound. The use of electronic chimes and xylophones send the listener into a dream-like daze. Undercover is the track that Valere is “most proud of” because it’s her at her “most honest”.

The track boasts a strong vocal performance delivered with character. Valere’s expert use of vibrato adds colour to phrases, and her naturally powerful voice is effective. On the surface Undercover is a mid-tempo banger, but it’s worth listening carefully to the creative lyricism that makes up the heart of the track. She delivers her message with conviction — you can love her and all her ‘colours’, or don’t bother at all. Valere describes Undercover as “a plea for people to be upfront about how they feel” — an important message for anyone willing to give everything to somebody who doesn’t deserve it.

The epic eerie bridge features affected vocals and impressive production — no surprise, when it was co-produced by dream team Michael Collier (Leone) and Valere herself. With an album due for release later this year, Valere is an artist whose career is worth following.