‘now or never’ – myah: A Fantastically Catchy Pop/Alt-Rock Fusion
Born and raised in Florida, talented songwriter, myah returns with the fantastically crafted ‘now or never’; which at its very core is a love song, that expertly blends elements of pop and alternative rock. Now, I’m not one for lazy comparisons and sweeping generalisations, but there’s something comfortingly familiar about myah. Her music is easy to listen to. Has an effortless flow and sublimely catchy melodies. I’d happily concede that myah is ALMOST the finished article, from an AOR perspective.
Listening to her earlier releases you’re able to build a clear picture of her influences and her current musical direction. ‘always want you’, is a fuzzed-up fusion of Twenty One Pilots, Snow Patrol and Taylor Swift. There, I’ve said it and to be perfectly honest, I stand by it; when your daughters are ‘Swifties’, you hear a lot, perhaps too much, and by proxy, ‘you’, yourself become a little bit ‘Schwifty’. So, when I said, “I’m not one for lazy comparison”, there was a huge ‘BUT’ shaped subtext. BUT, in terms of narrative, phrasing, tone and choices of melodic-contour, whether by accident or design, myah possesses more than a little ‘future Governor of Kansas’ within her repertoire.
Further supporting evidence can be heard within the bittersweet bars of ‘everything’, which appear to have been touched by the hands of Tyler Joseph and Marie Ulven Ringheim (aka Girl In Red), in terms of melody. It’s a delight to hear myah flex her upper-range over the choruses and she demonstrates superb clarity when using her head-voice, as well as no shortage of power.
But, now to the more pressing matter; ‘now or never’, which is a great listen and fun to play along to. So, we start with a F#, C#, B, A# progression for the verses, which puts us in the key of F# Major. The staccato, mildly overdriven, guitar chords are underpinned by a basic trap beat and some very new wave synth flourishes, and swells, which work brilliantly, giving a slightly dissonant, yet hypnotic vibe. The vocal melody is also staccato with a rising-fall melodic contour. Everything fits beautifully together and draws you in.
The pre-chorus/bridge and chorus progressions are the same, but it sounds as though myah shifts up an octave for the first F# chord of the, F#, A#, C#, F#, A#, G#, pre-chorus/bridge, which nullifies any potential fear of repetition. The bridge is sparse and this dynamic shift allows the chorus to really kick, helped along by the groove of the fuller trap beat. What makes the chorus, however, is the vocal layering which fills the space perfectly. Superbly floaty free-cannon and accented lower harmonic voice, show myah’s range and versatility. She knows melody and she knows how to construct effective harmonies beautifully.
The song follows a Rondo structure, with the final third of the song, switching emphasis and following a C#, F#, F, progression. The transition for this section is really well executed and it builds in both thematic and musical intensity, eventually fragmenting to a, “I’ll die in your arms” refrain, as only the trap beat remains and the progression cuts off on the F# chord. I was reminded of ‘Where Is My Mind’ by Pixies, during this section; it really does work well. And with some delightfully unhinged and desperate backing vocals, low in the mix, the song closes in an almost ambiguous manner. Perfect. Not everything has to be resolved. As is the way of love.
The production is fairly slick, but with more micro-management, in terms of tonal palettes, separation and EQ’ing and balancing guitars this would have been a masterpiece and it comes back to what I said in the opening paragraph; “myah is ALMOST the finished article.”
‘now or never,’ is a fantastically good song and sits alongside her other work favourably, showcasing her growing talents as a songwriter, lyricist and vocalist. I can’t imagine anyone not liking, nor not appreciating her artistry. With an album touted to happen soon, it’ll be very interesting to hear how myah fairs in the longer format. Singles are great, but albums are special and I have a suspicion that myah could well deliver something very exciting.
Spotify / Soundcloud / YouTube / Instagram / TikTok
