Cody Coyote’s “There Tonight” startled me at first. I didn’t expect the song’s extended and intensely rhythmic introduction but, once I settled into the intro after a second or two, what I heard sparkled with boundless promise. He fully exploits that promise when the arrangement opens in full. It’s driven by computerized sounding percussion, but Coyote nonetheless sets an irresistible churning pace for the beat that his voice locks into with the first line.
Rarely will you hear modern pop songs with such an attentive vocal. It’s obvious to any experienced listener that Coyote looks to sync up his voice with the arrangement rather than singing over the top of the latter, The balance of music vs. vocals is well balanced for such a relatively brief tune and there are no extended instrumental breaks built into the track. The ability of Coyote to tailor his performance to the arrangement rather than dictating to it is key for the song.
Keeping things condensed is another reason this song connects so readily. I like how there’s no wasted motion or energy in Cody Coyote’s “There Tonight”. He’s focused from the outset on supplying listeners with a complete and fully realized performance rather than zeroing in on one aspect of the tune at the expense of others. It’s a hallmark of polished songwriters to check off all the needed boxes and, early in his development, Coyote nonetheless is showing all of the canny knowledge of a veteran musical artist.
He comes across as a performer who began the recording process for this cut knowing exactly what he wanted to achieve and how to do it. I don’t hear him planting a single foot wrong during the course of “There Tonight”. You sense his presence lording over this composition even when he isn’t singing. I believe the same artist who opts for such an effective introduction as we hear with this track is also present behind each of the song’s lines. He understands how to orchestrate this single for maximum effect.
Yet it is never overwhelming. Instead, the feeling I come away with from hearing this single is exhilaration. Coyote has written and recorded a song that leaves me pumped up after hearing it; it isn’t difficult imagining the music for this tune making for an excellent workout soundtrack. The lyrical content of the number, however, provides a sharp contrast. He’s wrestling with a less than happy situation in the song’s lyrics, but the moment isn’t entirely dire. You can’t help but applaud, as well, how he treats the subject matter with the feeling and sensitivity that it deserves.
I hope we can look forward to years, if not decades, if similar or better releases from this young artist. Everything about Cody Coyote’s “There Tonight” smacks of staying power rather than the fly-by-night success that is so much of pop music’s history. The Ottawa-based performer and musical artist is a prodigiously talented rising star who isn’t even close to reaching the apex of his trajectory.
Gwen Waggoner
