Pianos, synths, basslines and smooth vocals make for a sexy combo when they’re arranged just the right way, and of the young players I’ve heard taking a crack at these ingredients, Dici is one of the only pop singers I’ve heard with an actual decent recipe to them in. His new single “Five Rings” has been making the rounds on seemingly every critic’s top tracks list in the past couple of months, but after examining the instrumental components fused into the lyrical content in this song, it makes sense why it would be appeasing so many demands across pop and hip-hop circles this summer. Dici is someone who really knows how to cultivate crossover aesthetics without sounding like a total poser, and in “Five Rings,” he makes a case for stardom you won’t be able to resist.
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The tasteful use of reverb over the vocal element in this mix enhances the already hypnotic nature of the singing marvelously, and while it’s liberally applied to our leading man’s voice in comparison to what the instrumental parts are receiving, the track doesn’t feel off-balance as a result. There’s a way to exploit indulgence without giving your artistic integrities over to the predictable and pomp-ridden, and while he’s only had a brief time to soak up veteran knowledge as a young player himself, there’s no debating whether or not Dici has a leg up over his closest rivals in this department. He knows how to get the most out of an otherwise surreal compositional structure, which is more than can be said for any of the other indie players I’ve reviewed recently.
Even when he’s rapping, there’s a melodic quality to Dici’s vocal that impacts the way we interpret his lyrics – arguably to such an extent that he sounds more authentic here than anyone else presenting the same lyrics would. He’s got heart behind his verses that you can’t fake, no matter how potent the synthetic backdrop another artist might have used in similar circumstances, and though I wasn’t familiar with the depth of his talents before getting a copy of “Five Rings” for myself, I don’t think he’s going to living in the shadows of the mainstream pop movement for long. His skillset needs a big stage, and that’s most evident when listening to this song’s most inspired moments.
I’m not at all surprised by Dici’s trending in the American and international underground spotlights over the past couple of months, and giving “Five Rings” a listen should bring any other curious parties up to date in under three minutes total. He’s got an edge that is both classy thanks to his style of delivery and unrelenting through the attitude he affords these lyrics, and with the interest his music is scoring from fans and critics around the globe this June, he’s likely going to have a window into the mainstream a lot quicker than his peer songwriters will. Dici’s earned it, and if you don’t think so by now, you clearly haven’t been listening to “Five Rings.”
Levi Colston