Joseph Pagano - Take Me
Jersey-based singer-songwriter Joseph Pagano released a new single, entitled “Take Me,” a short while ago.
Joseph Pagano
On “Take Me,” Pagano flips a U-turn. Rather than continuing with the electrifying sound – a blend of alt-rock, Americana, and roots country – generated on his breakthrough EPs, Graveyard of Dreams and Time and Colors, he returns to his ‘80s dance/EDM roots.
Explaining, Pagano says, “It’s fun to experiment with genres. What I learned from the 22 show tour I did supporting the first two EPs was that the songs created a new dynamic when played live, to the point where I was creating live versions with the band to capture the audience and played with arrangements that made me wonder if I had recorded the songs too soon. I wrote another song about Las Vegas with a strong guitar riff and one of my collaborators, Mike Hook took it and made a great country song out of it. In my world, you never know how a song will reach its full potential.”
According to Pagano, the genesis of “Take Me” occurred by happenstance. He was playing around with his recording equipment, using a looped guitar riff he wrote, when he stumbled upon a hypnotic trance pattern, to which he added trippy lyrics.
Listening to “Take Me” is analogous to entering 'Back To The Future’s' DeLorean and being transported to the heady days of yesteryear.
“Though I’m excited to release it as a single,” Pagano says, “I consider this a point in time version of the song, and I might do a rock version of ‘Take Me,’ as originally conceived, down the line. What’s ironic is that I felt my voice was so dry it created what I thought was a terrible take. When I played it the next day, it had a natural stutter effect, so I’m glad I didn’t delete that track. That’s a lesson in itself – never delete a take as you may soon come to love your mistake!”
“Take Me” opens on oozing, droning synths riding tight crisp percussion. Spacy sparkling accents infuse the tune with ‘80s psychedelic colors, as the synths run on groaning tones, followed by luminous chiming textures.
Pagano’s voice, inflected by classic EDM timbres from the ‘80s, imbues the lyrics with smooth dulcet tones, alternating from cashmere melodicism to edgy flavors.
“Looking for another way to a fresh start / I don't mind you coming here / Even though I’m a little scared / Looking for another way to your heart / Looking for another way to come out / Looking for another way to avoid self-doubt / I really dig your purple hair / And I don’t mind that people stare.”
Listening to “Take Me” is analogous to entering Back To The Future’s DeLorean and being transported to the heady days of yesteryear.
