It’s time to break out your vintage AKAI drum machine, and bring that retro sound to the new generation.

Joan starts off this track with a killer bass guitar line and bass drum. Together this will have you tapping your feet instinctively to the rhythm.

I love the use of the line & melody on the opening lyric, cover girl ( co-ver-girl ), the way it syncs with the bass guitar & bass drum rhythm is ubercool!

The bass popping in the chorus is a real highlight. It’s not often we hear a slap n pop bass used in pop songs, and the use of a popping bass on one note really takes you by surprise and delights you.

The production shows off the clever use of a drum machine, retro bass synth & bass guitar (bass guitar in the verses, & a combination of bass synth and bass guitar in the chorus).

Joan have taken a less is more approach with the production. They introduce the right element at the right time, lifting the song in the chorus & musical interludes after the chorus, and just as importantly, they take away elements when needed, which gives the track a certain ebb & flow to it.

The structure of the song hinges on the bass line. Instead of using a chord progression to layer the vocal melody, Joan use the bass line and lay the melody over and under it, zigzagging the melody across the bass rhythm and note structure.

A well-known classic that achieves a similar structure is Queen’s, Another One Bites The Dust. Both songs have bass line driven, beat driven structures that hold space for the melody to work around.

If we compare Joan’s –Come Over, to Queen’s-Another One Bites The Dust, we find two completely different songs, two different genres, different eras, but the bass rhythm is eerily similar. It just goes to show the powerful influence the classics have, the magnitude of their reach, and ability to almost time travel their way through multiple decades.

Joan has created a track you can dance to, sing to, and drive to. They’ve used retro sounds and influences to create a new vibe for a new generation. Can’t wait to hear what they do next!

Author: Rob Costa

Rob Costa is a freelance writer & Ghost songwriter from Melbourne, Australia. Rob helps us out with music reviews.