DiCarlo Productions - Love Is The Key

Hear The Track Here

I've come across the artist mostly known as DICARLO on lots and lots of different sites (but mainly Soundclick) but I think this is absolutely the first time I have ever reviewed a track by him. I picked up a little about him along the way, he seems to live life through two cities; Berlin and New York and they happen to be two of the most musical cities on the planet so that should tell you something. He is a drummer by preference but obviously it goes a lot, lot further than that and the overidding impression of you get of this artist is that he has paid the dues, taken the lumps and improved beyond measure in both technical and emotional appeal.

In other words, a thorough going professional.

There shouldn't be, therefore, anything much to say about the technical aspects of Love Is The Key. To my ears, even before I hear note one, it should be perfect in every detail - and indeed it is. Leaving whether you like the style or content about the only thing left to talk about. Seriously, Love Is The Key is exactly what I would have expected from someone of DICARLO's experience; a clean clear mix with enough vocal headroom to give the voices the room they need to breathe and yeah amen, emote. Having worked in a Brooklyn NYC recording studio during the early 1980's I was exposed to a lot of material like Love Is The Key, all of it brilliantly written and realised. The sort of track you KNOW would work in radio and probably everywhere else too. Where are they now? Nowhere, most of that material never even seen the light of day, and that includes some great unreleased Bobby McFerrin stuff.

Aaah, but the internet is a very different place and I can see a masive audience for this wonderful song, sung with consummate ease by Ingrid Arthur a voice I would like to hear a great deal more of. Veering between fairly commercial R&B and adapting an almost spiritual/gospel feel as a second taste, it's also a track that has plenty of mileage in it. If I had to FIND a gripe (a small one admittedly) it would have to be the slight overuse of the echo on bits of the vocal. In all other respects, Love Is The Key is a terrific track that should rightly be making its way out there in the real world music business because - face it - that's where it belongs. In the meantime, though, us lucky so and so's get to have it all to ourselves. It's a very middle of the road style though but don't let that put you off, this is craftsmanship of a high order.

Highly Recommended Soul Siren.