A new single release from Dean Nicole delivers a cross between the fantastical and nonfiction with honest lyrics that certainly feel like they come from a real place but then cross over into this fictional realm, this was one of the first times I've heard this before, so I definitely loved the whole approach.
"Once Bitten" comes through as a theatrical and almost cinematic feeling track that feels like an acoustic or contemporary rock style that becomes quickly addictive simply because it comes with all this personality and character attached to it.
This song has a very unique lyrical build, and it feels like it might have been cathartic for the lyricist and vocalist but for the listener, it feels very relatable and a lot of ways.
The track features Vimoksha and if you ask me this is an amazing collaboration because all the elements of the song complement each other incredibly well.
The guitar work is superb as it has a bit of a rock backbone and a pop overtone, but it also feels jazzy at times giving the song these grooves that make you want to move.
It's great to hear all these different influences in a track and the way the vocals are performed on top of this sort of jazzy rock feel, you get this lush feeling track that has a personal undertone, and this grabs you.
In a way, this track serves as a great escape and can pull you away from your surroundings for a moment in time and put you in someone else's thoughts and a different place altogether, and to me, that's brilliant because to be able to paint such vivid pictures with such in-depth and descriptive lyrics this way is something you don't get all the time so when you do it's quite refreshing.
This combination of groove and rhythm, the clean guitars and how they're played, the live drums, the way the vocals are performed, it all has this sort of essence of a live performance in its own way and feels like all these elements are feeding off of each other the whole time.
The whole thing is beautifully performed and has hints of not only honesty but darkness to it and all of these things are what breed and atmosphere that you fall right into.
This was a very engulfing song in a way, and it can wrap itself around you and keep you right where it wants to.
I adore the fact that you can dance to this song or just get sucked into its contents.
Either way, you're in it.
Dean seems to be quite a collaborator in terms of releasing songs, and I think that it's a smart move because each track that's been released from the artist has a little bit of a different feel from what I can tell so far.
I am certainly looking forward to whatever gets released next and have since listened to another track called "Rain Rain" which Indie provides a much different vibe but something you should certainly hear.
Take a deep dive into "Once Bitten" so you can soak up the whole story behind everything and the way it's delivered.
I suggest using headphones because it's one of the best ways to listen to it.
For me, this track gets a solid 8 out of 10 for not only Arrangement, composition, and approach, but its character and performance as well.