At IAAS Music, we have received requests to review multiple Pop Singer/Songwriters struggling to find a unique sound. When I first listened to ‘Anything Bad for Me’, the intro made me immediately worry that this would be another Lana Del Rey copycat. Instead, the track has blended some of the most unique female artists’ sounds’ to create something truly unique and utterly enjoyable. This is our deep dive into Hollie Carmen’s latest single. 

As mentioned, the intro to this song didn’t fill me with confidence. But as the rest of the production joins the vocals and guitar, we suddenly hear the “Hollie Carmen” sound, with instruments reminiscent of a blend of Amy Winehouse and Eliza Doolittle, partnered with slightly ‘Lily Allen’-esque vocals.

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The background vocals between lines in the verse reinforced the percussion’s 50’s inspiration. The track feels like a beautiful nod to previous sounds, reinvigorated by a unique singer's diversity of sound. 

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The lyrics, an isolated element of this throwback song that feel more modernised, tell an honest story about drunken mistakes. The carefree and laid back attitude of Hollie Carmen is almost shared metaphorically by the laid-back instrumental construction. The track manages to create a unique identity, while maintaining inoffensiveness and being easily consumable. In my mind, I visualise The Ed Sullivan Show, hosting these amazing 50s artists on a thick-framed black & white television. 

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‘Anything Bad for Me’, as a track, is filling a significant void within current commercial pop. The likes of Lily Allen, Paloma Faith and the older works of current pop stars, was about individuality and brand recognition from sound. Now, commercial success is found in the similarities instead of what sets you apart. Hollie Carmen possesses the self confidence to swim against the tide in that respect, happy to create her own sound and proudly demonstrate that the original Pop artist product still works.

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If I were to offer constructive criticism, it would be relating to the opening of the track. The overall sound of the production is brilliant, however the more artistic intro foreshadows a very different product than what inevitably gets delivered. Many tracks from the 50s and 60s would start with a quick drum fill, or jumping into the track straight away. Overall, Anything Bad for Me is a beautifully constructed, uniquely delivered pop ballad. Hollie Carmen blends traits from some of the best female artists across several decades, to create a sound that is both familiar yet deeply unique.

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