Amo Jr. Uplifts You with “Emotions”
By Deuce
There’s some fine instrumentation on display on “Emotions”, a recently released single from Amo Jr. The most noticeable, of course, is the piano that starts the track, shuts it down, and is almost everywhere else in between during this nearly four-minute affair.
Perhaps because this is a ballad, there’s a smoothness to the piano that’s certainly pleasing to the ear. Actually, at times it’s fairly catchy too, like during the introduction, in which he replays a winning riff a couple times that he actually could’ve played several more, it was sounding so right.
However, some of the best music on this piece comes from the helping hands of others. Charlotte Ortmann’s flute, for example, produces the most transporting of effects in what’s less than eight bars. All of a sudden the moody ballad with glimpses of beauty becomes something one can learn from, grow to, and edify oneself with, via the winsome notes of this wind instrument.
There’s also what sounds like strings, perhaps a violin, and assuredly an authentic sounding one, at that—but which very well could have been synthesizers, since there’s no one credited with that particular instrument. Instead, there are programmed drums (attributed to Franz Schedlbauer, who’s also on the bass and guitar) that drop around the start of the second verse. Their presence is plodding, yet adds another credible dimension to the tune that worked well enough when it was just Jr. singing over the piano.
Finally, it turns out that Christian Schallert is also tickling the ivories on this joint, which is perhaps fitting because the song relies so heavily on this particular instrument.
On the mic, however, Jr.’s got a decidedly distinctive voice. It’s pretty deep, which makes things interesting when he augments the hook (a simple refrain in which he sings the title of the tune) with a surfeit of high notes. If you listen closely, you can catch him “calling for the Jesus inside”, which just goes to show you what type of cut this is.
It’s demonstrative of both thought and feeling, which is a terrific combination for composing creations that transcend entertainment to truly become artistic statements. That’s certainly what Jr.’s done this time out, with a degree of instrumentation that’s worth the ride itself.
