Michelle Shafer is singing with a lot of passion behind her every word in the new single ”One Breach,” an eroticized hue of retro baroque swagger haunting her words in the ascending instrumental melody beside her. Shafer is a beacon of light in an otherwise enchantingly dark landscape in this latest release, and though “One Breach” isn’t the most complex song that she’s recorded since arriving on the scene a few years ago, it’s by far her most refined in tone. She’s come a long way in a very short amount of time, and the fruits of her labor are on full display in this toned pop track.
As much as I like the lyrical structure of Shafer’s new single, I don’t think that it was conceived with the idea of spotlighting her poeticisms alone. The lack of complexities in the instrumental patchwork makes it easy for us to appreciate just how much sonic depth she’s got, even when the setting is more minimalist than it is cosmopolitan. Past cuts might have been a little more elaborate than “One Breach” is, at least from a construction perspective, but this is where we can get to know her skillset without any augmentations in the mix.
I would have made the bassline just a bit less intense than it is in a few of the more climactic moments in the song, but I suppose that I can understand why Michelle Shafer decided to go with something different in this instance. In making the bass parts acrylic with texture, we’re afforded a certain level of postmodern contrast that wouldn’t have been present here otherwise, and, in any case, it does highlight the flexibility of our leading lady’s vocal attack splendidly.
When it comes to getting us connected with the emotionality of the tempo in this performance, Shafer pulls out all of the stops to make “One Breach” a smooth number to move with, and I think that it’s one of the few indie pop tracks to debut this month that would work as well on the radio as it would in a more traditional album setting. This could be remixed and keep its aural luster provided the lead vocal was left untouched in the big picture, but even in its current state, this is an electrifying, multipurpose single that tells us a lot about its creator.
“One Breach” has made me intrigued by the notion of hearing more from the Michelle Shafer camp soon, and though she’s still flying under the radar of most audiences at the moment, it’s hard to imagine her remaining at the underground level for much longer with material like this under her belt. She’s got a lot of the right attributes to attract a lot of diverse fans to her music, but what’s even better than her crossover dynamic is her authentic persona, which is a rare combo to find in 2023, to put it mildly. The bottom line is pretty simple here, and it’s that this is a solid single from a consistent singer who has a lot of success coming her way.
Chadwick Easton