More than something: Pretty Output & Fractures hypnotize with “Something U Said.”
More than something: Pretty Output & Fractures hypnotize with “Something U Said.”
87%Overall Score
• Somber yet refreshing
• Experimental and minimal
• Superb vocals
It won’t be wise to leave this unsaid— but SIZE Records is really onto some streak here— as they keep upping the ante with every release they do. Yes, they have always been an eminent niche in the music industry, but their recent revival and foray into other genres— not only just floor-shaking festival anthems— has kept us engaged. Meet “Something U Said”: an aural treat, this ambient-heavy, and lush experience is the brainchild of producer pair Pretty Output and vocalist Fractures.
There are similarities one can track from previous tracks as well; “Liquid Gold” (from AN21), which we covered a while back, shared features with its unconventional design and experimental nature. Pretty Output, alongside Fractures, has come up with a familiar yet quite distinct-sounding single; fulfilling the label’s hard-set inclination towards pushing the genre boundaries.
The Swedish duo of Pretty Output came into existence formally this year with their debut “Do You Hear Me,” featured when SIZE released a joint-venture album with Tomorrowland Music. Months later, their sophomore track included the established Australian singer-songwriter/instrumentalist Fractures, who has lent his talent to well-known names like Le Youth, ALPHA 9 (Arty), and Pretty Pink.
Entering the said instrumental, there’s an airy and chilly timbre attached to the atmosphere; projected further by the reverb-drenched vocals and synths, washed out to give aesthetics. A soft kick and toms with sparse closed hats work as accompaniment in the introduction. From the initial breakdown, the analog-sounding synths expand further, engulfing the listeners in a heartwarming embrace— almost presenting a ‘light and darkness’ duality. The drop extends to a plucky bassline and harmonizing brass stabs, made even more interesting with its unusual texture of backdrop chatter: a top-notch job at structuring and design, using less to have an evocative effect.
“Something U Said” is a magnetic creation, start to finish. Strongly resembling the ingenuity found in indie/alt records, Pretty Output and Fractures put painstaking hours into sculpting this song with a polished, singular soundset.
