The pressing thing to note is that, as far as first strikes go, this is a very different approach from Evanescence. Wasted On You’s slow-boil tension contrasts starkly with the maximalist philosophy of previous lead singles like Bring Me To Life, Call Me When You’re Sober and What You Want. Perhaps liberated by their new way of unveiling the album “one piece at a time”, they’ve going not for the jugular here, but rather an incisive snip of the heartstrings. What may at first sound comparatively understated for them is actually anything but. Make no mistake: it takes a lot of confidence to make your grand comeback sound so slowburn and graceful.
As far as opening gambits go, the lyrics, ‘I don’t need drugs, I’m already six feet low’ serve as a perfect primer for what follows: a sombre meditation on romantic numbness. Musically, this is part lullaby, part gothic power ballad – boasting haunting piano passages bolstered with the occasional eruption of burning distortion. If we’re talking the wider Evanescence canon, it’s a song that could nestle in quite nicely between Lithium and Lost In Paradise in a live set.
Above all else, however, it is – perhaps unsurprisingly at this point – Amy Lee’s voice and sorrowful delivery that remains at centre stage. Just check out her epic sustained note toward the end – it’s the crowning moment on a song that serves as a potent reminder as to why Evanescence have enjoyed life long after releasing Bring Me To Life. Mature, dark and beautiful, Wasted On You is a triumphant return.
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