[ Genres: Electronica / Dance / Alternative & Punk / Easy Listening ]
Take the well known Enya and her soothing sounds, mix together some upbeat House music and you’ve got the perfect recipe for Chrystal Cottrell. Some may categorize her with elevator music, but “Late January” has much more substance than a bell-hop’s soundtrack. The song is upbeat, yet contains tranquility that any listener can appreciate after a long day. After a bit of stalking, I have come to the conclusion that our House music heroine resides in Colorado, but don’t quote me on that : this woman is quite the mystery.
… read the rest if this author’s review below …
“Late January” by Chrystal Cottrell rated on a 5 Star Rating Scale
Author Rating: 3.5/5
Founder (Music Producer & Publisher) Rating:
Composition: 4/5 Arrangement: 4/5 Performance: 3/5 Production: 3/5 Hit Potential: 2/5
The track runs pretty smooth throughout the entirety of the song, yet there are a few places where the sounds are a bit Helter-Skelter and out of place. After thirty-one seconds, Cottrell introduces these guitar chords that don’t run well with the rest of the music. These chords don’t play out with the rest of the song, thankfully, but she also employs a string plucking sound after a minute of the song has passed. It’s not to say that these additions make the song worse, but I would conclude they do not add any necessary purpose to help the song. This track could easily be a song one drives around listening to, or something to fill one’s ears at a low volume while entertaining guests and sipping on red wine.
If the song were smoothed out a bit in the particular areas that I’ve mentioned previously, and was then rerecorded at a slower tempo, I’d naturally start up “Late January” and have it play quietly as I drift off to sleep. Instrumental music deserves much more credit than some give; it’s difficult to create feelings solely on sounds and not words. “Late January” is easy listening, which is why I can easily give it a 3.5/5 for it’s charm.