“It started so simply, now it’s taking me back. Words you used to tell me about the things that I lack. All in my head like a one way track, driving so smoothly, now it’s holdin’ me back”
“Holdin’ Me Back” boasts a heavy bass, fluid rhythm, European style and light vocal harmony that collaborate to make the ideal leading sound to HAUTE’s debut album Reciprocity to be released on October 23. This French duo has a unique synth-pop sound laced with soulful genres like R&B and Neo-Soul. The sound is reminiscent of New York based duo MS MR in its vocal character and pace and evokes a similar vibe to a more soulful Lily Allen musically, however, HAUTE sets themselves apart with vocalist Anna Magidson’s fresh and youthful tone and poppy harmonies, not to mention Romain Hainaut’s production artistry.
The song jumps right into the good stuff with Magidson’s sweet and spunky vocals immediately anchoring the listener to the music, lapsing the instrumental intro that can lose the auditor before the song has even started. HAUTE’s fresh personality mingles well with their trendy sound which results in a vibe epitomizing that which is young, modern and “cool.” The lyrics are relatable and tell a story that many know too well, finding themselves in a relationship that isn’t good for them anymore, or maybe was never good for them in the first place. Magidson relays her feelings in a way that lets her be vulnerable in her testimony while also seeming calm and collected in her delivery.
Trying to be vulnerable while remaining cool seems to be the aim and style of HAUTE’s music, a popular duality, making their music the soundtrack of today’s modern youth. While the lyrics of “Holdin’ Me Back” are not as abstract as other artists similar to HAUTE, their music’s straightforward lyrics may be their strength in terms of popularity. Their sound will be able to reel in fans who flock to mainstream music as well as those who prefer the alternative sound of the underground. In addition to their trending style of music, Magidson and Hainaut’s physical beauty and swagger will also lead this Montreal based duo to success by, in essence, symbolizing the current it style.
Magidson’s upbringing seems to be the root to her uniqueness in both her style and music. Her parents were gypsies with whom she moved to California when she was eleven from France. When she returned to Montreal for school, her and Hainaut, who lived in New York as a child, met to give us the single “Holdin’ me Back” along with a debut album in its fashion. If it’s anything like what we have heard, there will be more than the young hipster bandwagoners who are in for a treat.
