Single Review: Attention - Charlie Puth

An enjoyable song from Charlie Puth? Hell, a good one? 

Release date: 24/04/2017 
Genre: Pop ​

​Back at the start of 2016, Charlie Puth released Nine Track Mind to pretty much abysmal reviews all across the board. But wow, if you tell me he that he could do a dance groove with a slick bass line and some smooth guitars, then I'd cough in your face. I won't. This song is good. 

There's a lot of criticisms flown Puth's way over the last few years, particularly for that one song he made with Meghan Trainor in which I won't mention the name because you probably already know, and for good reason. Some of the songs, even after coming back to them feel stale, lifeless, generic and, most of all, boring. Nothing happens on the songs other than a few blips of piano chords sprayed over the songs, and 'oh here's a few lines in the chorus now leave me alone'. It seems that Puth's learnt something after all of that, and it is being able to capture the attention of your listener. Well, damn sir, you got mine.

My main issue with Puth has been about trying to do too much with his singing, and sometimes it gets cringy, whiny and a little bit annoying. Here, the song has a nice build-up set around it, but most importantly: Puth understands that having a staple instrument on every song doesn't mean it won't place you in a box. Just because you have a guitar and try to do a solo with a loop-pedal don't make you Ed Sheeran.

Here, the bass line strikes over and over, and the dip that happens allows the song to have fluidity to it (kind of like The Chainsmoker's Don't Let Me Down, though the watery guitars on that song are just too damn fine) and this lets it have a pattern to it, and enables a form of groove to transpire throughout the song. Not to mention, the progression on the song is great when the claps and kicks come in, and add much needed texture and flavour to the song. 

Puth does try to over-reach once again, trying to do vocal inflections all over the place and almost got to the point of annoyance. Thankfully, there's a roof to it, and Puth lets the production carry the song towards the end of the song, and hell, this song turned out great. 

Let's be honest, nobody ever doubted the talents of Puth. See You Again was a great song (for 30 seconds or so), and Nine Track Mind wasn't insufferable (to me, others may have some more to talk about that), but Attention just showcases how well Puth can be able to mix his songs, and I for one would like to hear what he does next. 

Just please don't do any piano ballads again (or do them well, or better, please). And don't use any real famous names because, seriously, it's tarnation. 

Attention is great. The song, not the literal meaning.