There are so many DJs and producers out there making their own music these days… And, let’s face it, most of them suck. They lay down some punchy EDM beats, find a woman with a pretty voice to sing over them, and that’s it. You’re lucky if there are a few layers of other assorted sounds to paint a halfway colorful picture. And the lyrics… leave a lot to be desired. No wonder there’s an EDM backlash now. It’s tired already. So, you can imagine how low my expectations were when I checked out producer Danny L Harle’s “Broken Flowers” this morning. But, wow, it feels totally fresh. Sure, the beats are loud and punchy, but this is a fully fleshed out, normal song. Not a song that’s intended to sound like a (generic) club remix. Could you play it in clubs? Absolutely, but whatever you play before and after it had better be excellent or else it’s going to sound like you’re playing a shitty set after this one sets the proverbial bar so high.
There are lots of intricate details to “Broken Flowers,” from the layered beats — some sonorous and others tiny — and other assorted percussion to the electro-flourishes to the berserk keyboards, this is one fully fleshed-out jam. And the vocals are amazing. This girl can sing and she does so beautifully, her voice capable of carrying a note and sounding super cute. The lyrics aren’t bad either. “Teardrops feel like showers / I thought I was free / Lying awake for hours / With just your broken flowers,” goes one of the choruses; there are several variations to keep things interesting. Another thing to like about the vocals is how they’re stuttered at time in a pattern that reminds me of drum ‘n’ bass. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a drum ‘n’ bass song, but it’s nice to hear a hint of that here.
So, who does “Broken Flowers” sound like? I think it’s most reminiscent of The Chainsmokers. But not “#Selfie,” their more recent songs like “Roses,” “Waterbed” and “New York City.”
I should also mention that Danny’s whole EP, also called Broken Flowers, is out now on PC Music / Ultra Music and there isn’t a bad song in the bunch. From the ultra-synthy “Forever” to the more experimental “Without You,” he doesn’t lay down a single bad beat.
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