Words like surreal and postmodern get thrown around by the indie music press a little too often for my liking, but when listening to the new single from Le Sonic and Robert Lee, “Any Moment,” it’s rather difficult to think of any words that better describe the tone of the music. Hypnotic and slow, “Any Moment” unfolds virginally, only hinting at its seductiveness through a fleeting lyrical emission from Lee. It’s quite reminiscent of the softer side of vaporwave but with a significantly heavier jazz influence, and it’s had my full attention for the last couple of months.
The string parts in this single stick out to me as being the sharpest instrumental element of the mix, but at the same time, it’s really difficult to credit any one part of “Any Moment” as being the grand source of catharsis in the song. From beginning to end, this feels like a collective effort from both Le Sonic and Robert Lee, despite how minimalistic the latter’s role is comparative to the former’s, and as much as I want to bask in the glow of the cosmetics here, there’s just as much to be said about this arrangement as well.
Listen to “Any Moment” below
Lee’s vocal is the perfect complement to the hazy melodic ribbonry of this song, and I would even say that his subtle approach to the lone lyrics – which are simply “Any Moment” – is what makes the jazz influence in the music shine as brightly as it does. There’s an almost sleepy feel to the tempo that could cloak this performance in the fuzzy white light of chamber pop, but at the end of the day, I think that the eclecticism of the instrumentation as it’s appreciated through the lens of this singer’s voice will leave most critics deeming it alternative jazz at its finest.
Listeners who are in the mood for a post-vaporwave fantasy they won’t regret exploring well beyond the 3:20 running time on its music video would be wise to hear “Any Moment” for themselves as soon as possible this autumn. Robert Lee’s amazing voice aside, the compositional virtues of this piece are enough to make me a fan of Le Sonic for life, but something tells me they’re barely scratching the surface of what they could potentially produce in even more ideal, non-COVID circumstances. I’ll be curious to find out, and it’s greatly due to my exposure to “Any Moment.”
