With a relaxed swing that isn’t lacking in swagger by any stretch of imagination, we find the sexy beats that will form a rhythm in Lexi Todd’s new single and music video “Window Shopping,” but these grooves are just a taste of what’s about to come out of the speakers in the next few minutes of play. Lexi Todd delivers a seductive pop treat in her latest release, and although it’s a bit more elaborate in construction than some of her past cuts have been, I would qualify it as being one of the more accessible and emotionally exposed of any she’s recorded thus far in her career. She’s got the chops to take on some really intricate material, and she proves herself more than capable of the task in this sensational song.
SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4nUU2Fz1Pmt2SaXVE4prUu
Everything in “Window Shopping” is designed around Todd’s lead vocal. It possesses a fragility that is relatable and heartfelt, giving us a clue as to how connected she is with the music in this track, and yet the rich vitality of the harmonies it forms with the string play in the background is anything but breakable. Her attack is astute and sharp, but she avoids the temptation to make any of her verses aggressive in tone – truth be told, she really doesn’t need to. “Window Shopping” already contains an instrumental fabric that is filled with color and tonality that complements her drawl brilliantly, which makes it all the easier for her to play out her soft-style crooning without coming across as removed from the substance of her lyrics.
The production quality on the music video for “Window Shopping” is top-notch, but it doesn’t strike me as being particularly overdone or glossy on a surface level. The concept is pretty simple, much like the composition is on its own, which allows for our focus to remain tuned-in with the music more than the visuals. It’s nowhere near as complex as the actual arrangement of the beats are, but it doesn’t have to be. The real treasure in this piece is the gifted songbird situated in the middle of all the instrumental melodicism, and I for one appreciate her keeping things frill-free and medium-centric in this latest offering.
I wasn’t incredibly familiar with her complete discography prior to hearing this track for the first time just recently, but I will absolutely be keeping up with whatever Lexi Todd produces in the near future. She’s got a voice that can do things with a melody that just aren’t matched in today’s mainstream pop music, and although she’s far from the only songstress making a big impact on her scene at the moment, she’s got a certain jazziness to her style that her closest rivals – Clare Means, Sister Speak and JOYNER being among the most formidable – just don’t. I’m very interested in seeing what she does with her sound as she develops her craft a little more, but right now she should be considered one of the smarter vocalists in her peer group both in the mainstream and the indie underground alike.
Gwen Waggoner
