For those looking for a musical catharsis over a breakup, which there’s been a rise of in the last couple of years (gee, I wonder why), look no further than the single “Over” from Norm Adams and Julia Robertson. Adams and Robertson have certainly been busy in the last few years, with Adams having his most recent release “Body Rush” released back in 2019. Where that song was a slow paced R&B sensual ballad, “Over” works as an excellent companion piece which sees the aftermath of a relationship you worked immensely hard to build upon. From the gat-go the song assaults you with an explosive start that’s almost like walking in on an argument. Things slow down much like the diffusion one can attempt to try and make sense of things. There’s an exceptional use of organ and other key and heavy percussion elements, and they range from subtle accent uses to more overt usage like we hear in the many climaxes of the song.
A song like this acts more as a call back to classic R&B jams of the numerous decades, taking a slow burn approach that really lets Adams and Robertson, accompanied by Jacci McGhee and Tisha Hunter on backing vocals truly shine. It’s a song certainly made for the Marvin Gaye, Teddy Pendergrass crowd and as a member of that group, this is more than worthy a successor. If there’s any major complaint I have with the song is that it doesn’t leave much up to imagination by way of the dueling perspectives.
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Over-Norm-Adams-Julia-Robertson/dp/B08NZ44NN7
There’s a refreshing lack of conflict in the song, instead almost working as an expositional piece with even lines like “Somethings been left unsaid, voices inside my head” helping to back that. “Can we make it like it used to be” is asked at one point, and there’s a true heartbreaking weight to these words since you know that despite whatever the reason the breakup was caused by, there’s no going back from here. It’s a beautiful piece that’s been wonderfully mixed and mastered allowing for the spare uses of backup vocals to have a strong impact and the instrumental group which is primarily synthesized is still wonderfully organic and truly acts as a sonic highlight in many areas of the song. It’s wonderfully subversive going into a breakup song and expecting two opposing arguments and instead watching a flame slowly be extinguished.
I’ll be incredibly upfront and say I loved this song. It’s smooth and scintillating and an almost Trojan horse quality to it by being an incredible bop I can see being sung along to filled with passion, but when you take a moment and really let the subject matter of the lyrics hit you, you’ll be taken aback by just how much depth is in this track. Adams finds himself at his best and it’ll be exciting to see where he and Robertson go from here. The irony of a song called “Over” representing the start of a new era for a musical icon in the making isn’t lost on me. The song is now available on most streaming platforms.
Garth Thomas
The music of Norm Adams and Julia Robertson has been heard all over the world in partnership with the radio plugging services offered by Musik and Film Radio Promotions Division. Learn more https://musikandfilm.com