The mixer has ensured that the lead vocal still blends with the more open space of the instrumental using a large plate style reverb. The stereo effect and pushed forward sound make us feel like we are sharing this very confined space with the singer, and that we are perhaps hearing it literally from inside their head. When the verse vocal enters (00:02 and again at 00:54) a stereo widening effect is high in the mix, spreading the sound across the stereo image as well as giving the impression of placing it in a very small space. The production of the lead vocal, particularly in the first and second verses, really emphasises the feeling of being inside a lonely person’s thoughts. This is the successful combination of the creative and technical decisions throughout the production process to create an overall feel of the track.Ī squeaking noise from a cello opens the track, leading you in to that world, before the first verse introduces the key components of it. I think the most successful productions achieve a sense of being a complete piece in and of themselves it’s that difference between hearing a mix and hearing a song. This concept of the ‘world’ of the song is one that I am constantly returning to when I think about my favourite mixes and something I try and be conscious of in my own work.
I love how ‘I Know Alone’ places the listener inside the specific world of the song. This conjures an aesthetic where the central character portrayed by the lead vocalist lives in a slightly artificial and detached space, while the track swirls around her. In terms of instrumentation the track utilises programmed drums, cold bass and pad sounds in contrast with a solo cello, a lone acoustic guitar as well heavily affected vocal lines and loops. Danielle Haim, the lead vocalist on this track, explains on Instagram that the first lyric written for the song was ‘I know alone like no one else does’, and the whole production takes on this idea of loneliness and separation. ‘I Know Alone’ is an interesting and modern blend of natural and synthetic sounds, which combine to create a unique atmosphere that closely reflects the lyrics.
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