mp3: "Be There 4 Ya" - Chris Farren

words: Michael Brooks

“Be There 4 Ya”, the latest single from Chris Farren, is a distress signal hidden inside a poignant nugget of pop wizardry. Farren demonstrated his knack for memorable hooks on last year’s “Can’t Die” and “Be There 4 Ya” is a welcome addition to his catalog. Sultry synths and airy drums contrast the tender lyrics, highlighting feelings of restlessness and uneasiness. Farren sings “with you sound asleep in bed I heard the bell ring in my head/the death match with my mind can now get started”, a line that resonates more after repeated listens when it becomes clear that the tracks perky backdrop is just a defense mechanism. Underneath the sunny instrumental is Farren at his most vulnerable, acknowledging his own self-destructive tendencies in search for solace and revealing the emotions hiding behind his smile. “Be There 4 Ya” never quite offers a solution to Farren’s worrisome mind, but it instills the hope that one day he will find it.