Lockdowns are not good for social beings like us and such prolonged torture is definitely terrible for our mental health. “It’s getting hard to breathe,” sings Paloma Majumdar of electro-pop duo Paloma and Adil on their latest single ‘Not Done Trying’.
The song picks up on the helpless sentiments that perhaps all of us share now – ‘My dreams are dying’; ‘Watching all my years go by in a blink’; ‘Somebody slow time down, it’s slipping away from me’. It is natural that such depressing thoughts can get to you and collapsing into the pervading negativity seems so rewarding at times. But that is what they are advising against – they are not done trying, nor should you.
The song has an overall pop inclination, however, it is dominantly psychedelic. The echoing chorus gives a feeling of being submerged, on which Paloma’s sensual voice sails beautifully – reminding one of Lana Del Ray’s ‘Shades of Cool’.
While it may not be as poignant, the song has an underlying lust for life. The duo’s youthful energy is revealed on the dynamic soundscape, designed in parts like a child’s fairytale with some saccharine motifs. There is also a prodding unease thanks to muted, tripped-up beats, from which Adil’s guitar solo sprouts like an unexpected surprise.
In a nutshell, ‘Not Done Trying’ is both a contemporary sonic journey crafted with gadgets as well as organic emotions transferred through a guitar and a mic. And it is definitely the right recipe for those agonizing moments when the darkness comes rushing in.
