Deep Down – Ostarè (reviewed by Dave Franklin)

If Show ‘Em What You’ve Got was a brilliantly brash and buoyant slice of R&B, Ostarè returns with something slightly more chilled, more soothing and more understated. But that is not to say that Deep Down isn’t still filled with the same message of empowerment and inner healing, it is just that whereas the previous single comes at the listener face on, a collection of soul and swagger, attitude and ambition, Deep Down just throws its arms around you and gives you what can only be described as a sonic hug!

It is built on similarly liquid beats, a cool clubland groove, one that is all about futuristic digital dance timings, pulsing bass beats and smoky clubland atmospheres. But it is, if not exactly subdued, certainly more subtle and seductive. There are times when a message warrants a more full-on and unavoidable delivery system, this is not one of those times and it proves that Ostarè is equally at home seducing her audience as she is seeking to subdue them.

https://soundcloud.com/ostare-official/deep-down-master-2022

And again, there is a deeper message than the music might suggest, if only taken at face value. Dance music is not known for being deep and meaningful, but Deep Down is an exception. Whilst it is perfect for the clubland set who just want to party the night away, and its infectious grooves guarantee that will happen, lyrically it is a love letter to security, to finding your own safe space, a place where you are comfortable, where you can be yourself…a “place to call home.”

Not in the physical sense, more in a soul searching one, as always with Ostarès messaging, it runs on a more spiritual plane, this is metaphysical music for the modern era, pop for the Aquarian Age, dance music for the delvers into their inner consciousness. Throw away this is not!

I probably said the same last time around too, but it is worth repeating. It is possible that Ostarès marks a real change in direction for pop music, a coming of age for a genre which up until now has been seen as being driven by the fickle finger of fad and fashion. What Deep Down proves is that it is possible to make music which pushes the potential of pop by being both infectious and accessible but also deep and meaningful, not a combination that we have seen on the dancefloor before but perhaps the start of something new.

Deep Down does lots of things but perhaps the most important one is that it raises pop’s IQ by a considerable degree, and that has got to be worth making a song and dance about. Dontchathink?