Lisa Miskovsky – Why Start a Fire?
Well, it was always burning, hypothetically…
[Video][Website]
[6.14]
Anthony Easton: Claustrophobic in places, and the electronic bedrock is subtle enough that the vocals almost appear a cappella, which adds to the idea of being chased. It’s not panic or paranoia but a kind of erotomania that demands explanations but refuses reason. That the rhythmic track boots faster toward the end and the last thing we hear is a kind of choral onomatopoeia both prioritize Miskovksy’s excellent vocal work.
[7]
Brad Shoup: This being a Melodifestivalen finalist, it has the benefit of directness and brevity. (I’m willing to give extra credit to the drum fills.) Miskovsky is unable to bring any sense of stakes to a pleading, paranoid text (“enemies”?), and the quarter-speed synths sure aren’t bearing the load. Still, if this ever pops up on local soft-rock radio, I’ll be pleased. Changes of pace mustn’t always be quickenings.
[5]
Alfred Soto: Restrained therefore “classy.” She’s more convincing acting haughty on those garrulous verses than playing the victim against a bank of synths on that chorus. Don’t try starting a fire with this wood.
[5]
Iain Mew: I don’t know if it’s the Eurovision thing but “Why Start a Fire” sounds constructed within a formula, every word and every dramatic drum crash placed just-so in perfect symmetry. Lisa does a great job of playing off the tension that its rigidness generates, applying the absolute minimum of theatrics and successfully conveying depth of feeling.
[7]
Andrew Ryce: Swedish pop: auto-tuned to filling-resonant extremes, subtle, percolating production, weird, barely-there accent. This is all nice and enjoyable until that awful jarring key change that is the chorus; it feels like two different songs jammed together, which is unfortunate because both sound like they could be decent songs. The chorus is loaded with big gated drums, and the verses build just so, but they don’t end up in the right place. Missed opportunities.
[4]
Sabina Tang: I realize this is meant to be judged on a live performance, but the production needs the full, layered, transcendental Cocteau Twins treatment: percussion bursts, swirling guitar noise, multi-tracked harmonizing backing vocals, synth upon synth all swathed in reverb effect. At the moment it’s 40% there. Lisa isn’t quite Liz Fraser, either, but the song is pretty enough to deserve it.
[8]
Katherine St Asaph: An airy, airbrushed seascape of a song, and exactly what I need now. Ryan Tedder would sound like this if he had a soul.
[7]
The thing I hated most about this was that it was basically three really bad song sketches bolted together in a way that didn’t make any sense. Not scored because a [0] wasn’t low *enough*.