Music Review #4 — “Strangers” by Maddie & Tae
A great love song from the clever duo.
This past Friday marked the release of the 3rd single from the upcoming EP of stellar country duo; Maddie & Tae. Titled, “Strangers.”
I am a huge fan of Maddie & Tae. I loved their last album, and I’m sure I’ll review the EP, or album, or whatever it is that they end up putting out next. Even though that will come out eventually, I couldn’t resist reviewing this new single now.
The song opens with some blissful piano, and is followed up with some very light, airy plucks on an acoustic guitar.
The first chorus is lead in by a cymbal, and brings in a light drum tapping and what sounds like a cello.
The song really breaks out in the second verse when the drums are more prominently featured, and lead the song into a swelling second chorus.
The production is arranged by Derek Wells and Jimmy Robbins, and they did a phenomenal job. I’m a sucker for when a song gets more and more intense as it goes on, but sometimes this can lead to the production overpowering the voice of the singer(s). On this song the balance is perfect though — and while the instruments do get pretty loud; they never drown out the beautifully dynamic harmonies that Maddie & Tae are so great at.
The song was written by Maddie & Tae alongside Jimmy Robbins, Adam Hambrick, and Tofer Brown.
The lyrics are very innovative; as they introduce an angle I don’t think I’ve ever heard in a love song. It talks about how they can’t fathom the idea that their significant other was once just a stranger, and how it doesn't feel like there was ever a time without them.
There are some very creative lines in this song. It takes several listens to really catch, and appreciate all the different little phrases used. One of my favorite lines, and one that really made me think was;
“There’s always been something I’m running to
There’s never been a time it wasn’t you.”
The lyrics are all written in such a simple way. They’re easy to understand, but still hold a lot of meaning that you can dig deeper into.
I was in love with this song on the first listen. It does such a beautiful job of showcasing the vocal talent of Maddie & Tae, and delivers the message it’s trying to get across so efficiently. I could easily see this becoming a go-to wedding song.
The writing is great, the production is great, and it’s so nice to see the duo keeping up such a stellar discography. I’m very excited to hear their EP when it releases.
I’m gonna rate this one an 8/10.
Thanks for reading this edition of Tuesday music reviews! I would love to hear any thoughts you may have on this one, so give it a listen, and leave a comment!
Here’s a link to last weeks review:
