Daniel Merriweather : Red
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Too much has been made of Merriweather’s rendition of The Smiths' 'Stop Me' on Mark Ronson’s experimental album Version. Half thought it was a bold step from a talented vocalist, others a sacrilegious act of pop destruction. For me it was neither, and so I approached Merriweather’s own song with no pre-conceptions. I feel vindicated therefore in seeing this as a step back in the fledgling career of this Australian.
Whilst I enjoyed the ‘hip-pop’ debut 'Change', without being overwhelmed, 'Red' is both underwhelming and not enjoyable. The basic premise is a lament from the singer for a lost love. A trope that never seems to tire admittedly, but the tune is ordinary and the lyrics, derivative. Worse still for the title is that its usage in the song makes no sense if we look at the colour ‘red’ in images of love. “You took something perfect/And painted it red” is the crux of the chorus, and a more baffling contradiction I haven’t seen recently! Red by tradition invokes thoughts of passion, vitality and a lustful, intense and (most importantly) ongoing relationship. I can see what Merriweather is looking for; he wants to convey that the love has been tarnished by his other half. Surely then a colour associated with despair or failure would fit better. “You took something perfect/And painted it grey”, of course would ruin the song, but it does nag, especially when the listener feels that the lyrics are as crucial to liking the song as the tune or his vocals. His vocals are decent, but there is little variation and the sentiment feels stale, as though he were just going through the motions.
I strongly imagine that the only ‘red’ that Ronson’s protégé will be experiencing is the delicate scarlet shade his cheeks will go when other critics sink their teeth into him.
2/5
Words: John Elmes
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