Hot Natured ft. Ali Love – Benediction
Sure, rub California in…
[Video][Myspace]
[7.00]
Patrick St. Michel: The temperature has plummeted over the last two weeks, and that now means I sit around my apartment wearing winter coats and thinking about warmer climes. I need every reminder of the summer months as I can get, and the easy-breezy vibe of “Benediction” works well right now. This is just the soundtrack I need when I’m pretending standing in front of the heater is actually a day at the beach.
[7]
Brad Shoup: Rhythmically, it’s quite staid, but it’s an overpowering mix. Even the hi-hats lacerate. Plus the bassline is nimbly gorgeous; I’m fine overrating this for now, cos it’s winter, and even my brain needs blanketing.
[9]
Ian Mathers: Given 1) the name Hot Natured and 2) the relatively passionate subject matter here, it’s kind of disappointing that “Benediction” stays so laid back. Also, there’s something about the timbre of Love’s voice that just rubs me slightly the wrong way. But those electric piano stabs are lovely, and even if the song never quite reaches a boil, it’s a pleasurable enough simmer.
[6]
Jonathan Bogart: Wish I could place the 80s/early 90s R&B singer Ali Love is reminding me of, unless it’s every 80s/early 90s R&B singer. But there’s barely time to notice that, or the ungainly way the title word is crammed into the chorus, when that centipede bassline is crawling up my spine.
[7]
Alfred Soto: The mix, anchored by a minor key synth, doesn’t stop percolating, and when Ali Love’s falsetto glints off the hi-hats I can see the incense.
[7]
Anthony Easton: Solid update of the church as dancefloor motif, with the last bit tacked on for some extended remix action. Extra point for being actually danceable.
[6]
Will Adams: “I feel like my love has found a home” is the exact sentiment I aim for when I go dancing. If I could hear “Benediction” in a club while surrounded by a crowd just as excited by those synth stabs, I could reach that feeling.
[7]