Bright and chirpy on one channel, oddly rustic and cripplingly raw on another, the guitar parts we encounter in the new single from Des Cox, titled “My Internet Lover,” are definitely the bread and butter of the song’s signature harmony. They’re consistently playful and sweet in a fashion that mere lyrics could never be on their own, and despite their grandiose faceting, they never manage to steal any of the attention away from the other sweeping components in the foreground of the mix. Cox has made a career out of being as passionately artistic as a performer can be without giving his mind over to the craft, and in “My Internet Lover,” he brings his wealth of experience to the table for all too appreciate.
Aside from the string play in this single, the vocals are blended into the mix here exceptionally well, leaving little room in the backend of the song for the sort of fluff other musicians would just as soon incorporate. There’s a ton of definition on each verse, and even when they’re amalgamated together in a cluster of crooning, the melodic serenades colliding into one another in “My Internet Lover” are crisp and unclouded by external fat. This is a good example of what lean, mean pop songwriting can do for an artist when he has a simplistic palate to work with, and for my money, it’s one of the more intriguing releases of its kind to debut in the month of May.
Right out of the gate, I found Cox’s brilliant use of rhythmic tension in the buildup to the chorus to be one of the most stunning elements in the whole of the song. It made me want to hear him perform live for myself, as this is precisely the type of material that was designed specifically to be heard on the stage. “My Internet Lover” is improvisational music that adheres more to vaudevillian standards and practices than it does anything in the modern pop lexicon, but that withstanding, I think it’s one of the more embracive tracks I’ve heard in a long time. Des Cox is insatiably likeable here, and when heard at the proper volume, his energy is infectious for both critics and fans alike.
You don’t have to be familiar with the collective works of Des Cox to dig the charisma he invites into the grooves comprising “My Internet Lover.” Those who are will be more than pleased to see this direct import from his fabled stage shows, which tend to last about an hour and a half in total, and those who aren’t yet aware of his work would do well to start off with this specific track. He’s got a lot going for him as a songwriter and a performer, and with a little more love and respect from the mainstream press, I think Cox is going to get the credit he’s long deserved in this industry. This is one heck of a renaissance man, and his latest submission is definitely among his very best.
Troy Johnston
The music of DES COX has been heard all over the world in partnership with the radio plugging services offered by Musik and Film Radio Promotions Division. Learn more https://musikandfilm.com