So this is the third time we have reviewed our good friend and, in the spirit of being honest, housemate Camden Cox.
We have avoided reviewing her for a while as we didn't want it to seem like we were being biased, however with her latest two installments we couldn't sit by and say nothing, so here is our review of "Knots" and "Remind Me"...
Since the young Miss Cox started working with Shirobon the sky has seemingly been the limit. Very rare is it that two people "get" each other creatively.
This seems like a match made in heaven... Our first sight of what was to come came in the shape of a collaboration for Shirobon's debut album a link to this can be found here, starting at 0:36, but trust me it's worth listening to the whole album teaser, incredible!
Just when all were thinking, "surely the next one can't be as good", along came "Knots" and proved even this cynical old fart wrong...
"Knots", in my humble opinion, is the first track from Camden with a truly 'personal' feel to it, not the easiest thing to achieve with a DnB/DubStep backdrop. The emotion and pain is portrayed lyrically through a clever use of metaphor and misdirection.
When listening to unsigned and up and coming artists my method is simple... "can I hear this song on the radio?" if the answer is no, then I'm afraid to say I move on... on this occasion with "Knots" I hit repeat... several times... on a side note it was somewhat embarrassing when she came into my room and I was there nodding my head like the 'Churchill Dog' ooooo noooo!
So just as I had finally finished raving about "Knots" and things had started to return back to normal, normal being my daily verbal abuse of Camden, she goes and spoils it all by saying something stupid like I love you... Wait... no... that's not true, I'm getting myself confused!
She did spoil my fun though by unleashing the DubStep beast that is "Remind Me"... without a doubt the edgier of the two tracks, she manages once again to infuse her sweet, sometimes cute vocals with this master class in DubStep producing.
Shirobon's producing leaves me somewhat lost for words, which my friends will attest is a rare occasion. In a genre that can get a tad turgid and samey Shirobon manages to create a almost new vibe that sits well within the parametres of what the DnB and DubStep genre requires, but also outside of it enough so that it would be as much at home at a rave as it would on Radio One day time playlists. I get a sense it is only a matter of time before Shirobon's name is being banded around the halls of some of the big labels.
Camden has long since moved on from the cutesy days of "How It Need's To Be" & "Lullaby", taking nothing away from those tracks - they were both great in there own rights! However like all new artists Camden has evolved and now seems to have found her sound. She would be the first to admit that she has always had a very clear idea of how it is that she wants to sound, half the battle there is finding the right person to collaborate with, she has certainly addressed that issue since linking up with Shirobon.
It's all well and good me sitting here in my pants raving on about how good these tracks are, but all music is judged on personal opinion. My job is simple, it's to bring your attention to it and then let you make up your own mind.
Like all good music should do, Camden's latest installments leave you itching for more.
By Chris Deighton
