Starting with a grimy, robotic synth line, Round And Round quickly establishes itself as a song of contrasts.
Post-intro, the crunchy electronic sounds are swapped for soft instrumentation and slow drums, LA-based musician Primer’s angelic vocals introducing a serene atmosphere. Round And Round is at its best, however, when it brings the robotic and angelic together, in the chorus. The analogue-sounding synths give the song concrete foundations upon which the vocals have the room to explore.
The resulting song has the hallmarks of the glam-rock-channeling work of Goldfrapp, particularly as the song descends into the bridge. Whirling melodies break into a canter, a carousel where the horses have come to life and broken free. Primer’s vocal takes on a more earthly sound in the final run through the chorus, shaking free of their otherworldly sound as we strain against the song’s growing centrifugal force.