Afterlife – Edenhill (reviewed by Dave Franklin)

Although very much sitting in the pop world, Afterlife, the debut single from Edenhill, is a much smarter musical cookie than such a generic label might at first suggest. It is undeniably infectious, which is the bare minimum requirement for such a record anyway, but it is shot through with musical smarts that lift it above the modern pop pack. Smarts such as the cool indie vibes of the euphoric and slightly hazy vocal deliveries, the underlying funkiness that adds energy and drive, the neat use of dynamic gear changes from understated piano break downs to soaring choruses and just the overall contagion of the song.

Pop can mean many different things different people but for me it is at its best when it is being gene-spliced with more indie moves, more intricately crafted energies and that is what is happening here. Too much mainstream music, that destined to be merely, single-use, throwaway pop, opts for straight dance beats and simple rhythmic urges but Afterlife proves the it can also be musically adept and wonderfully addictive, it can match groove with something more musically graceful – that it is possible to be big AND clever.