Single Review: Joy Crookes - Feet Don't Fail Me Now

Singer-songwriter Joy Crookes is one of the most exciting and talented prospects currently emerging in the music industry. Her previous releases include a mixture of incredibly promising EPs and singles, such as ‘Early’ and ‘Mother May I Sleep With Danger?,’ but fans are still tentatively waiting on news regarding a debut album. New release, ‘Feet Don’t Fail Me Now,’ however, does work to satiate that appetite.

Joy Crookes is one of the most exciting and talented prospects currently emerging in the music industry

‘Feet Don’t Fail Me Now’ immediately entices the listener with its propelling bass line before the silky-smooth vocals of Crookes layer beautifully on top. This bass line remains as a constant throughout the track but merges seamlessly with the off beat upstrums of the guitar. The guitar cuts through the melody to create a groove that will provoke many a foot tap. The same can be said for the drum beat which also fits satisfyingly into this groove. The combination of instrumentation and vocals leads this track to feel full but never busy which Crookes must be commended for as it is a balance often hard to achieve. The balance is cemented when the chorus is repeated for the penultimate time in a stripped back fashion. The contrast of this section allows for Crookes’ vocals to be foregrounded alongside the meaning of the words she sings.

The lyrics carry an extremely important message in encouraging listeners to stand their ground, fight for what they believe in and fill the gaps in their knowledge to become more empathetic towards others. This is particularly evident in the irony of the lines, ‘Put my name on petitions, but I won’t change my mind / I’m keeping up appearances / The dark side of my privilege.’ Of the single, Crookes explains that she wants the lyrics to help listeners ‘open up a dialogue, speak out [and] make mistakes [because] that’s how progress happens.’ Using her music to create this dialogue and send this message powerfully resonates with the recent initiatives promoting racial equality and understanding of issues such as prejudice and implicit bias.

The combination of instrumentation and vocals leads this track to feel full but never busy

The one criticism that can be found with the track is that the lyrics to the chorus begin to feel repetitive towards the end of the song. The repetition, however, does enable the song’s message to be emphasised and reflects the empowering mantra Crookes may be repeating to herself. This is why ‘Feet Don’t Fail Me Now’ is such a powerful title.

A final strength of this track is how compact and cyclical it feels. Crookes ends the track near identically to how it begins by placing the bass line on centre stage. This time, however, Crookes imitates the hook vocally to give the song a fun sense of impending closure.

‘Feet Don’t Fail Me Now’ is yet another example of Crookes’ brilliance and is rumoured to be the first single from her debut album. If the rumours prove to be true, I for one cannot wait to experience this brilliance across an entire body of work. Big things are coming for Joy Crookes and it would be silly to not pin her as one to watch out for.