SONG REVIEW: Grandeur – Snowman

So far, of the two 2020 Johnny’s debuts Snowman have yet to completely impress me. I really enjoyed both D.D. and especially Stories but nether of them felt like stunning musical moments, something their brother group, SixTONES excelled at delivering last year. And as such, I came into Grandeur with pursed expectations. And thankfully, I was anything but disappointed with what I heard. This is explosive Johnny’s at its best.

With a track like Grandeur, it’s best to come into it with an open mind. Especially since it’s relentless bombast from the very first minute. This is a track that isn’t subtle in the slightest, opening with a collage of backing vocals and frenzied keys before launching into a brilliant keyboard driven opening verse. There’s a real sense of propulsion here, feeling almost as though you’ve been thrown right into a bullet train. It’s an exhilarating introduction and thankfully the melody and performance remains equally as potent. Snowman may be a performance group but they’ve got some really great vocalists and while their vocal blend might not always work (such as the post chorus) their individual vocal tones usually impress. The intstrumental also retains a quirky, funk driven nature, often times transforming into what sounds like warped laughter samples (the post chorus once again). This keeps Grandeur entertaining all the way through although it does have the potential to grate over multiple listens. That’s probably why I’m glad they toned that segment down during the climactic chorus.

Speaking of the chorus, that is what really shoots Grandeur into the stratosphere. The track is home to an absolute mammoth chorus and given the fact it’s produced by the magnificent Tommy Clint, that shouldn’t come as a surprise. It towers over an already bombastic arrangement, coming across as both punchy yet melodically satisfying. Something that is really important to me. I love me some bombast but if it isn’t backed by a strong melody, it just won’t do it for me. And as such, a song like Grandeur hits all my buttons and is the first Snowman single to truly floor me. But as much as I love this, I can easily see the boys delivering something even BIGGER. And I wait for that day with open ears.

Verses: 9

Chorus: 10

Production: 9

Performance: 8

Final Rating: 9 / 10