Don Diablo – Face To Face

52%%Overall Score

• Usual, forgettable chill structure
• WATTS sings, alone and unsupported
• Personality in the pluck, great percussions

There isn’t much to begin with this Friday, so I caught myself lazily skimming through the releases, searching for familiar names. Don Diablo popped up, and “Face To Face” (featuring WATTS), is a reluctant choice of mine to review. It’s still January and I’m already bored to death.

In the current times, Don has turned less and less fascinating for me, floating drably in a limbo over Future House and Pop. Successful and radio-friendly, not the type we could cover anyways. “Face To Face” made me reevaluate about status of the genre now: everything has set itself in a comfort zone and the market flooded by these innocent, second-rate tracks.

Come to the production, its offering remains basic with a relaxing tone, and a hint of personality given by a squeaky pluck during the riff, paired with a clean subset of percussions. The Dutch artist’s signature is in the slight, wobbling bassline used in a Tropical House get-up. It’s frothy and non-offending, eligible to neatly pickup that 1-2 millions of stream for January and earn the monthly paycheck.

WATTS has a pleasant voice, yet not standing out in any distinction, and I must admit that the instrumental doesn’t fully accompany his vocals during a couple of passionate solos. It just goes on, without looking to prosper as a synergy.

Even if the delicate ambiance and a sprinkle of creativity makes “Face To Face” listenable, it won’t leave any trace of itself on your mind for its forgettable. Coming from the once pioneer of this style, it barely is a satisfactory outcome.