• Summery Rock combined with Progressive House
• Monotonous Vocal, Predictable formula
• Untapped talent
If you are an avid listener of Protocol Recordings, you must have come across Navarra, an ex-duo behind some gorgeous productions last year. I’d regret not suggesting their collaboration with Nicky Romero himself as an example or “Crossroads” and their sparkling remix of “On My Mind” by Sam Void. Their style is joyous, cheerful, vivacious & full of happy vibes, thanks to proficient use of traditional instruments such as guitar and piano, and I genuinely appreciate it. I was anticipating their next release, and my desire was fulfilled by “Repeat”, out now on Protocol!
The duo split a few months back. I checked their latest releases, and I feel that Youp, the sole member handling “Navarra” now, managed to keep the duo’s original style intact. The signature ebullient mood is present, and the newest tunes still imbibe those summer vibes assorted with Progressive House influences.
However, “Repeat”, despite being conventionally well made, failed to meet my expectations – it lacked the freshness that I envision from a “Navarra” song. It’s too linear, almost dull, and awfully predictable. In my opinion, the breakdown was the weakest section of the track, where a monotone vocal chopped loop iterates and slowly escalates into the drop. I wasn’t impressed by the vocal loop. However, the fragment that followed, where the bouncy bassline and the complex lead become the primary elements, satisfied my otherwise insatiable thirst.
The structure is still a hybrid of Progressive House, Future House/Bass vocal chops and Pop-Rock. If this concept excites you and you haven’t had much experience in this arena, a listen is undoubtedly recommended. However, I could cite examples of tracks that utilized the same concept and executed it more competently.
I’m not sure how to describe it, but “Repeat” is lacking something. It’s not a bad release, and I have always maintained that Navarra has the talent, and I’m not changing my mind. But it doesn’t carry the identity of their other releases, instead, it sounds more like a “Galantis” track than “Navarra”. It’s forgettable.
What do you think?
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