Incorporating creative vocal and structural turns within familiar melodic inspirations, Don’t Be Falling In Love is the newest album from Freidrich$ — succeeding across a range of electro-pop, rock, and trap captivation. The release follows up the artist’s previous full-length Demo(n)s, which caught our ears with its dynamic melding of trap and atmospheric pop. Again featuring production from Zephyr, Don’t Be Falling In Love also consumes with its knack for quality songwriting and production.
“Wicked Gamez” opens the album with immersive appeal, pairing the haunting melodic progression of the Chris Isaak classic with Freidrich$’s lush vocal introspection. “I wanna fall in love with you,” his vocals let out, moving from the hazy acoustics into a haunting tone resembling a siren’s call. The final section stirs with its crisp rhythmic injection and twanging guitar briskness, as the vocals invoke a ’90s alt-pop nostalgia in their serenely melodic pull. The ensuing “Should Have” succeeds with a similarly familiar allure, this time incorporating the warmness of Jeff Buckley’s “Lover, You Should’ve Come Over” — the vocals lamenting “I’ve been through so much” with painstaking ardency.
Freidrich$ seamlessly shifts into a more electro-pop vibrancy with “Heartbeat, Please,” traversing seamlessly from bass-y bounces and climactic vocal navigations into a palpably infectious chorus — beckoning to “feel my heartbeat” as glitzy synths persist; it’s a great use of Annie’s magnetic track “Heartbeat.” The structure fully envelops around the three-minute turn, where roaring guitar distortion leads a rock-minded invigoration; the track’s cohesive movement from electro-pop catchiness into rousing, anthemic rock vigor is fully exemplary of Freidrich$’s dynamic range.
Another winner, and excellent use of The Knife’s savvy track “Heartbeats,” “Promises, revisited” embraces the buzzy synth-pop realm — infusing “I don’t care what others think, I care what you think” smitten lyrical sentiments amidst a radiance pop spell. Meanwhile, “Annie’s Song” shouts out Red House Painters in its twangy guitar hypnotics, as the vocals implore to “look at the stars” with an expressive, emotive charm. “Where do I fit in with your privilege?” they ask, balancing calming reflections and evident yearning. The subsequent “Business,” featuring production from Dяєαмƶ, is a smooth display in R&B charisma — fit for late-night drives in its soulful “don’t give up” vocal sentiments and sampling of Drake’s “Hold On, We’re Going Home.” Don’t Be Falling In Love is another thoroughly compelling success from Freidrich$.
