There are few songs that came out this year that I could remember hearing for the first time as vividly as “Here I Found / No Self Control” by Billy Lemos. The gloomy, tempo-changing and constantly evolving amalgamation of distorted sound stays imprinted in a listener’s mind, thriving off the fact that it can’t quite be placed in any one particular genre or sonic aesthetic. This elusive quality made me want to listen to that song over and over again, and that same quality resonates on Lemos’ new song out today, titled “Run Fast”.
Vocals from songwriter JJ set the scene for this single, opening up with a dramatic acapella introduction. You’re brought into the world of the song layer by layer, slowly building up to a very unexpected, but oddly fitting drop. Lemos’ experiment with song structure, similar to “No Self Control”, pays off once again. It flirts with the line between intentional and gimmicky but gracefully comes out on the side of the former, as each subsequent beat change feels purposeful and fully fleshed out. After the rave-like barrage of electronic drums and glitched-out synths that mark the first drop, the composition subsides again, stripped back down to the barebones vocal arrangement. “Run Fast” comes alive from the moment you play it, and through its uncanny detours, holds your attention to find out what Lemos will do next. Listen below: