The Good: Decent vocals, Fun lyrics, Interesting sound
The Bad: Repetitive lyrics, Poor use of medium
The Basics: A fun song, “Under The Water” still underwhelms as a single recording, though fans of pop will likely enjoy the quirky quality to it.
I have a thing for obscure female musical artists who may or may not have ever had their one hit to make people wonder. On the site I used to write for, it was absolutely no surprise to me when I learned that I was the only one to review Merril Bainbridge’s two albums The Garden and Between The Days. Bainbridge peaked in the mid-1990s with her song “Mouth” (reviewed here!) and has not been heard in mainstream American music since. Indeed, her follow-up single, “Under The Water” was a shelfwarmer when it was released and now is only available to collectors who hunt for it.
“Under The Water” was released on Bainbridge’s debut album and it is very much a fun pop song that did not peak very high on the charts. This is not a surprise considering most listeners forgot about it immediately after hearing it. The thing is, there are so few good pop songs that are weird and fun, but “Under The Water” has a quirky quality to it that so few songs on the radio seem to have any more. But when Bainbridge released the song, the Spice Girls were on the air and she was unable to break the stranglehold they had on the airwaves. It’s unfortunate because even “Under The Water” is less obnoxious than “Wannabe.”
On the single “Under The Water,” Merril Bainbridge sings the song she wrote, though she does not play any of the instruments on it. She co-produced the song, though, so this does seem to be her musical vision.
“Under The Water” is an acoustic guitar and keyboard-driven light pop song which is performed in the higher registers and without any loud percussion. Instead, the song is a musical storysong about a dream love and it conveys the dreamlike quality through the instrumental accompaniment and Bainbridge’s voice. The song has something most other music on the radio does not have any longer, which is a sense of musical development. The song starts out with only two instruments and as it goes along, with the addition of more voices, the song adds harmonicas and additional guitars, which gives the listener the sense that the song is building to something.
Similarly, Merril Bainbridge’s vocals are enhanced by background singers after a few repetitions of the chorus. Bainbridge has a high, clear soprano voice which actually makes it through most of the lines with a speed that is impressive. She is melodic and establishes the melody beautifully, if in an uncommon vocal range for upbeat pop songs. As the song goes on, her refrain is harmonized with by deep, male voices that sound like svelt dream men who simply repeat her lines. This, surprisingly, enhances the dreamlike quality of the song quite well.
“Under The Water” is terribly repetitive, though, which is a huge liability in a song that is only 4:13 long. The version on the c.d. single is identical the studio-released track on the album The Garden. Bainbridge actually wrote the storysong and it has a deceptively simple progression. She wrote and sang “. . . The last time I saw you, we were in a room / With sunshine in my eyes and water on the floor / I watched you float away: take me with you / A long time ago, we were walking around / We were fooling around in the garden / In the garden air. I saw you turn around / And still you turn around / My eyes are playing tricks on me / How I miss you.” And it works to create a sense of loss and mystique that is more sappy than lonely, which is rare in a pop number.
But, at the end of the day, “Under The Water” is fun and I ultimately recommended the c.d. single for a simple reason. Given how hard it is to find either of Bainbridge’s albums, they are equally likely to run into the single and while it is only a single song on a full compact disc, the song is enjoyable for pop enthusiasts. And it’s wonderful to support an artist, even if she did not produce a volume of work which can be measured on more than one hand.
For other singles, check out my reviews of:
“As I Lay Me Down” – Sophie B. Hawkins
“Wonderwall” - Oasis
“All I Want” – Susanna Hoffs
5.5/10
Check out how this single rates compared to others I reviewed by visiting my Music Review Index Page!
© 2012, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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