LVCRFT’s new single “Scream for Halloween” is more than a novelty tune. It qualifies as such, there’s no question of it, but I can’t help but note the musical merit of the song as well. It’s a thoroughly polished example of modern pop songcraft that has no pretenses of being high art but reflects the astute craftsmanship of the songwriters behind its creation. Evan “Kidd” Bogart, Amanda “MNDR” Warner”, and Peter Wade are the trio responsible for the work from this ongoing project and their vast experience penning and shepherding material from top-flight musical performers as diverse as Beyonce, Rhianna, Jennifer Lopez, and a score of other elites shines through during every second of this single.
“Scream for Halloween” hails from the project’s forthcoming fifth Halloween-themed release entitled V. Such a simply titled collection implies a straightforward presentation and the songwriting certainly reflects such virtues. I loved the new single after hearing the first verse and my affection for the performance deepened with each passing second. Wade, Warner, and Bogart team with The Remains to concoct an engaging and, most importantly, fun cut that builds on the joy they feel with the onset of the Halloween season and invites all of us to come along for the ride.
Alternating vocals are an excellent choice for the performance and choosing a male and female voice to manage the duet singing is even better. It spikes the song with further flavor that helps deepen its impact on listeners. The musical arrangement is punchy despite a relative dearth of instrumentation, but including sax playing further diversifies the performance. Despite the carefree nature of this recording and its emphasis on entertaining listeners, I never came away from it feeling like the music receives short shrift.
It checks all the necessary boxes. The lyrics do as well. I think the short lines are a good fit for the song’s musical attack and strengthen the aforementioned punchiness. LVCRFT summons all of the customary imagery associated with this time of the year without ever leaving the song burdened with outright cliches. It is predictable, yes, but it’s the sort of predictability we want from a song of this nature. Listeners will go into the song expecting a very specific musical experience and LVCRFT provides it.
It’s become a memorable annual tradition. Let’s hope that LVCRFT continues bringing their special brand of supernatural-inspired fun to the Halloween season and enlivening our musical world with romping pop songs such as “Scream for Halloween”. It’s a song that invites audiences to participate and share in the fun. There is no doubt in my mind that it will play well for enthusiastic crowds and garner a lot of well-deserved attention for the project. The talents of major leaguers such as Bogart, Warner, and Wade shine as bright as ever in LVCRFT’s work and we can expect them to do so as the years roll on. This isn’t a guilty pleasure listen; it’s a romping good time that everyone can get behind.
Garth Thomas