Pineo & Loeb have no shortage of diversification when it comes to their portfolio of collaborations. Their latest sees the Halifax electronic duo paired with Toronto/Montreal-based singer Avery Florence on the track ‘Woke Up This Morning,’ which recently came to life visually off their latest album LifeBlood.
The song is an inner dialogue all too common to human kind; it deals with a torn heart, love triangles and a touch of infidelity. The beats produced by Pineo & Loeb will stimulate the conscience of anyone currently or previously in a bout of romantic uncertainty. They are calm enough to fall asleep too, but sad enough to make your mind run wild. It is impossible not to recreate your own staring-out-the-car-window moment and compile your past into a montage of reminiscing and, potentially, regret.
It is as paradoxical as it can be to describe a voice as both soothing and gritty, but that’s what Avery Florence brings to the table. The way her voice runs through listeners rubs against the grain of their souls, both soothing them and helping them learn and grow. The sounds of saxophones within the song ties in nicely with Florence’s performance and helps the song resonate with those who are fans of the singer’s solo work.
Visually, director Evan Ferrall frames Florence in scenes where she is in either a somber position of emotional confusion or in one that makes her look small compared to the background. In between, she is shown with one of two lovers in seemingly honest relationships, minus the part where they are not exclusive and that she is secretly torn between which to keep and which to let go. The tug-of-war state of Florence’s character is never seen as disingenuous or shady, especially when put to the music. It is instead heart-wrenching and hits home to anyone faced with that decision.
This pairing accomplished a balanced and shared role in both musical production and clear and concise story-telling. It is both a track of feel-good vibes and relatable writing and diction. Aesthetics make or break these kinds of collaborations and those produced on this track are especially pleasing.