Troubadour, poet-extraordinaire Sarantos is back with another single; We Failed Until We Didn’t. Yet another long narrative, looking deep into the human condition, phrased as poetry and set to a melody, the formula of Sarantos’ seemingly unlimited stock of songwriter gems. We Failed Until We Didn’t is one of Sarantos’s more simple themes, simply perseverance. And unlike the vast majority of his extensive catalog, Sarantos has chosen to make his rhythm sections a tad more simple as well. By reducing the frills and excessive samples Sarantos is getting in touch with his inner pop hero with every release, and this one is another example of his climb to that songwriter’s peak. However, with that being established, listeners should pay attention to the highly competent string section which accompanies the vocals after the main bridge section of the track. The vocals maintain a bit more steady articulation, without reaching outside his range, and with the lack of exaggerated tension around each cadence, this works incredibly well for his track. All of these aforementioned properties make a track like We Failed Until We Didn’t much more approachable by a larger more diverse audience.
The production values of each subsequent single release from Sarantos is becoming more refined and polished, making his independent poetry to music styles more lucrative to commercial success. As such, We Failed Until We Didn’t would be a great fit for any Middle-Of-The-Road, Adult Contemporary, or Alternative radio format, with its clever imagery and infectious chorus sections. His first single for 2023 We Failed Until We Didn’t is a markedly good start for this artist who is good for a monthly single release, however, it makes me wonder when we are going to get more of the typical experimental Sarantos releases. Overall though, We Failed Until We Didn’t is a great track, easy to listen to yet still challenging as we dive deeper into the expressive lyrical content. Not surprising to see a highly impressive stream count since its early February release, with more anticipation and excitement surrounding Sarantos every day.
Reviewed by: Lee Callaghan | Evolution Music Press
