“Fading”
This review was originally written for Music Scene Media.
On April 22, Lo released his newest single, “Fading.” The track follows his debut EP Heavy Hearts nicely by capturing Lo’s signature sound. Compared to the EP, the single demonstrates a more melodic side of Lo’s voice and shows off producer Jake Adkins’ arrangement skills. It showcases all the work they’ve done since the Heavy Hearts release.
The track kicks off with screams and intense guitar, but it’s broken up by stripped back sections with distortion over clean vocals and electronic beats. Just as he did with Heavy Heats, Lo tackles the transitions between screams and clean vocals smoothly, and they add dimension to the story. In the verses, Lo repeatedly screams, “I can’t take another second/living life without you present,” while the clean sections detail how he is losing himself in this heartbreak.
The track’s chorus is entirely clean vocals, with repeated and driving guitar riffs in the background. Lo drives home his helplessness with the phrases, “Lately I’m fading / Without you I’m breaking / Don’t know how to go on / Cuz I know I’m too far gone.” While you’re listening, you can hear the internal madness that he is singing about. Lo moves on to the bridge, which feels like he is going through something transitional. It’s stripped back, feels more vulnerable than the lyrics that precede it. However, he finishes the bridge with a fiery scream for few bars, and then he returns to the intensity of the chorus. Lyrically, the listener can hear how painful it is for him to move on from this heartbreak, but that it is essential for him to move on.
“Fading” is a successful follow-up for Lo, who has proven that he has grown from the release of Heavy Hearts. Lo is the first metalcore artist that I’ve really paid attention to, and I’m so glad I did. I’m looking forward to seeing his continued growth as a musician.
