Tremendously imposing and yet not at all the bruising piece it could have been – were it mixed specifically with a dancefloor in mind, perhaps – there’s something pretty special about the groove we run into as “He Reminds Me of You” begins to play, and in the nearly four and a half minutes this track lasts, the listener will have more than enough time to try and figure out what that ‘it’ factor is being derived from. Could it be the vocal Christina Benedetto is offering us at the front, the playful thrash of the percussion, or even the swagger in the harmonies as they unfurl in real time? No matter what you decide, this is one song that is hard to step away from without feeling affected, which is something I cannot say for a lot of other pop singles out right now.
I love the warmth of the relationship between the guitar and the drums, and although it comes in as the brashest component of the mix, it doesn’t drown out the fluidity of the lead vocals at all.
Both the music video for “He Reminds Me of You” and the composition on its own possess an evenness to their stylization that doesn’t invite any bombast into the big picture naturally, and rather than injecting the finishing project with an extra dose of polish, The High Plains Drifters instead decided to keep it as efficient and straightforward in finish as it initially was. I like the decision, and I think it’s what makes the song as attractive as it is this fall.
Though I only found out about the music of The High Plains Drifters just recently, I’m very interested in the gorgeous melodies unveiled in this release. If it’s any indication as to what they’ve got in the tank moving forward, I think this sound could serve the band quite well with a hungry generation of American pop/rock fans in need of something smart in 2023. This feels well-timed for the present, and even if this wasn’t intentional, there’s no reason for The High Plains Drifters to not benefit from this good fortune.
