“CONTAGIOUS” by Malachi Eastling” is a great song, every time it plays out there’s a distinct level of character and personality that comes through in the sound. The musical backdrop has a unique twist to it – a vintage kind of soundscape, a mellow and soulful ambiance, but also; Malachi Eastling’s lyricism and performance are undeniably true to his own artistic approach and style. It’s always a pleasure to listen to, there’s creative freedom there for certain, but the recording and songwriting also tip their hats to some very indie tracks from way back when, and for this reason, there’s an element of nostalgia thrown into the mix, which adds another reason to love the track.
The sound itself has all the best parts of indie and pop – the riffs, the live and organic sound, the skillful and characterful leading vocal – plus all the strength and memorability of excellent songwriting. The track develops through the use of a somewhat mellow verse section; telling the story, building the soundscape, then soon enough evolving into a full-on, high-energy song with a stunning chorus section.
The way the track opens up is a big part of what grabs your attention. The music has a distant and dreamlike feel to it, and what follows is more and more of that reflective and dreamlike essence that reinforces the genuine honesty and emotion that the artist crafts his tracks with. The sharp, indie-infused edge alongside all of this creates a striking contrast. Furthermore, the hook is a stunner – it uses a fairly simple yet effective melody, and the leading vocal presenting it utilizes every ounce of passion and power to reinforce the height of the rising energy. The instrumentation, too; everything surrounding these crucial moments adds weight to the final effect.
It’s an extremely artistic release, the music playing alone is beautiful and sets the perfect kind of vibe within which the supporting song can thrive. The vocals on the track are all at once intense and gentle, there’s a dreamlike softness to the sound, but it seems like something much bigger than your average, floating through the mind, vocal-led Melancholic Pop track. There is a multitude of styles touched upon within the song, and it’s quite mesmerizing to listen to, yet you really don’t focus on these individual ideas at all – as mentioned, the music works as one, and the song leaves you alone as quickly as it found you, and what follows is an innate desire to listen once more to really get an understanding of it.
