REVIEW: ‘Better Together’, the new single from sadbot
sadbot is a fittingly evocative name for the solo project of Sheffield-based musician Isaac White. Derived from a self-professed tendency to assemble lyrics from melancholic one-liners - “like one of those A.I. bots on social media whose express purpose is to quote lines from movies or songs” - fans of nostalgia and longing will feel right at home with his intimate, dark romanticism.
But even the best shade needs a bit of light to draw it out, and sadbot’s new single ‘Better Together’ has the latter in spades. The anthemic indie rock of White’s previous band, RedFaces, is stripped back to infectious bedroom pop that draws from Daft Punk at their most downtempo; doleful, yet danceable, and effortlessly catchy.
‘Better Together’ starts confidently, not rushing its gentle unfurl of synth, muted funk guitar and tastefully autotuned vocals. The lyrical opener “feels like I'm falling apart/'cause I can't get your smell out of my shirt” sets the appropriate tone for a song that has a deep yearning at its core. White’s tale of an all-consuming crush feels both personal and universally relatable. Anyone who has felt that heady rush (that’s all of us, right? ...right?) will hear it captured in the earworm chorus: “we're better together/don't you lie to me/I know you think of me/a little more than a friend”.
Once in full musical flow, ‘Better Together’ recalls the sway of Tame Impala or Khruangbin, a succession of melodic and rhythmic hooks fading in and out around the insistent central groove. White’s self-production places each element clearly in the mix; the gossamer guitar solo that draws the song to a close is a particular highlight for the ears.
In the context of a Sheffield musical landscape that can still struggle to be appreciated by the wider world as something more than a production line of Arctic Monkey-clones, ‘Better Together’’s expertly crafted, deeply feltpop is a welcome addition. sadbot is described by White as the “score to the movie I make in my head to make everything easier and more beautiful”. On this evidence, loved-up festival crowds and melancholy solo listeners alike should be looking forward to the rest of this particular soundtrack.
Words: David Cuthbertson
