‘Cardiac Arrest’ is the fourth song to be released by Natalie McCool, most recognised for her single ‘Pins’ that gained extensive radio play and popularity earlier this year. Stepping slightly away from her previous low-key style, this single bursts into a potential indie radio hit.
Its got a good bass line, upbeat guitar riffs, filtered drum hits, and witty lyrics wrapped up in a catchy chorus, repeated enough times for it to be stuck in your head for the rest of the day. After the warbled synth intro it begins relatively simply, and then with each chorus stacks more layers to the track. Shakers and xylophones add a subtle home-grown style, bringing a touch of personality to the rather sleek production, while the slightly distorted vocals are layered, causing the effects to be all the more noticeable.
The slightly high-passed, tinny echo that’s noticeable on all her songs works particularly well here. It’s not really all that noticeable, and gives the impression that something is slightly off and, given the juxtaposition of the positive sound to the not-so-positive lyrics, it’s apt.
There are a few slight issues with the single though. It’s easy to hear that the production is not to the same quality as a similar single from CHVRCHES would be, as the peaks of the song don’t feel like they hit as hard as they should do. Because of this the breakdown near the end of the track also feels a tad anti-climatic, and doesn’t result in much of an impact when we return to the full-blown chorus.
The radio-single style, while fun and catchy, also seems to have an adverse effect on the song. While there is so much focus on the aforementioned catchy chorus, there’s very little time spent on verses, and results in the song sounding more like it’s trying to sell you a tune, rather than make you focus on the quality of the music and lyrics. Overall it is enjoyable, and you’ll find yourself wanting to listen to it a few times in the first week, but I believe that the pushy chorus may result in the song overstaying its welcome quickly.
‘Cardiac Arrest’ is available to stream now via Soundcloud.
