Fresh off their victory on the newest season of Road To Kingdom, CRAVITY are striking while the iron is hot with a new single album. It’s uncommon to promote in the month of December, but I’m happy to hear new music during a traditionally slow period. Now Or Never makes for a suitable follow-up to February’s rock-infused Love Or Die, though it’s patchier than its predecessor.
At its best, Now Or Never plays as a gritty rock anthem. The moments when it goes full bore are quite thrilling, from the pounding chorus to the cathartic, chanted refrain. In between these highlights, the song struggles to maintain momentum. It has a particularly ineffective second verse breakdown, plunging us into half-time tempo right as the track should be building energy. This occurs again during the bridge, with a fake-out structure that pulls back when I want it to punch. The mixing is also a bit mushy during the song’s final chorus. It would have been nice to hear a clear vocal cut through the murk rather than soft layering that tends to drain individual personality from the arrangement.
That’s a lot of complaining about a song that I actually enjoy. As a whole, Now Or Never is a solid example of this bold pop sound. The pre-chorus is an instant earworm and the rock-meets-synth production reminds me a bit of Golden Child’s (superior) Feel Me from last year. But when a song’s this close to being great, it makes me want to storm the production studio and tweak the few things that would have vaulted it to another level.
Hooks
8
Production
8
Longevity
8
Bias
9
RATING
8.25