Reflections feat Sophie Dorsten – 3Mind Blight (reviewed by Dave Franklin)

Although the singles which have passed under my pen so far, Tomorrow and Roses, showed a dreamy pop side to Sophie Dorsten, you could always hear that she was choosing to operate in an understated fashion and that if she ever decided to really embrace a wider sonic range, it would be a wonderful thing to behold. 3 Mind Blight is also not unfamiliar to me, having reviewed the gloriously brooding slice of alt-rock that is I Am Not.

So what is great about this collaboration between the two is that both artists seem to bring the best out in each other and each causing the other to shift slightly out of their comfort zones. For Dorsten it is a chance to blend her gloriously hazy vocals with something more anthemic and sky-reaching. For 3Mind Blight, it is a chance to underplay the rock credentials and deliver something, more minimalist, more delicate, more…reflective.

The track plays with textures and tones rather than more obvious sonic punches. Building layer upon layer – a chiming acoustic guitar, a simple beat, spacious sonics – to create the desired dark pop poise. But it is the vocals that really capture the ear, not to mention heart of the listener. Both Dorsten’s glorious pop tones and 3Mind Blight‘s gritty, urban-rock deliveries work brilliantly together, one grounding the other and in return being lifted to new sonic heights.

This pairing of voices are opposites that attract. And then some. Boy meets girl. Innocence and the more world-weary. Angelic highs dancing with devilish realities. The smooth with the rough. The contrasts are brilliant.

That is the point of musical collaboration. In accommodating your creative partner’s own sonic spectrum and various vocal talents, you push your own into new places, explore new territory, move personal boundaries. And that is what happens when artists understand the true nature of creative collaboration, that when done right the song becomes much more than the sum of its parts.

And that is exactly what is happening here. Perfect.