There are plenty of exceptions that prove the rule. The world is full of them. And today, I have found one more to add to the list. Demi Ramos. If pop music is the art of blending infectious grooves and sunny vibes, accessible rhythms, and singalong addictiveness, why does it take someone from the more alt-rock, or at least alt-pop-rock, side of the tracks to show everyone how to do it? Demi Ramos latest track, “Just a Phase” is not just an exception; it is exceptional in a broader sense too.
The cover, with its sunny scene and innocence of youth vibe, might suggest something which fits right into the average pop pickers wheelhouse, and indeed it does. Still, there is nothing at all transient and throwaway about the track, something that most pop music suffers from.
This is the sound of someone better versed in more poised and proficient forms of music, such as indie or rock, turning their hand to the pop form and outshining those who make their home here. It harks back to bands that also straddled the border between pop and a hard, or at least harder, place; bands as varied as The Thrills, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Weezer, as current as Wet Leg and as iconic as Blondie.
The song zips along on groovesome and soulful guitar licks, buoyant and driving bass and backbeats, and a vocal blend between the two harmonizes perfectly and dares you not to join in. And with rising Emo/Alt star Garzi on board and Victoria Konefal in charge of the video direction, it makes for a very potent package indeed.
Summer might not be here in reality, but it is starting to bloom sonically, which is more than enough for now.
