So give me the chance, a dreamy voice sings over a blushing, lush guitar bed. It’s the sound of a woman that has confidence, sometimes but not all the time. Isn’t that what being 17 is like? In the new pop/Americana song “Seventeen” from Wild Fire, exploring the ups-and-downs of being a young adult bubble to the surface. It’s as real as it can be and just as lofty and possessing change-ups that being a teenager means. Wild Fire, a duo made up of Kayla and Kelli Iutzwig, bring just a slight country twang to the vocals, with a feverish guitar bed that saturates for hours. “Seventeen” is a chance worth taking.
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The sweet harmonies blend together like a summer’s day, like a perfect weather kind of day. It’s like a golden harvest, their voices intertwined. The steady beat, like a toe-tapping just enough to keep time, hits like a pondering afternoon. This song transports the listener to a moment of reflection and thinking about what it takes to figure out life’s questions. When you’re a teenager, life’s full of questions and little answers. I loved the back-and-forth of this song – one moment the lyrics suggest things are as they should be, then the next line, it’s like, wait, I don’t have it all together. I swear I know who I am, but by the morning I’m a stranger again, is one of the best lines in the song. Could this be just a 17-year-old issue? Probably not. I know lots of people (and myself on some days, included) that feel the same. I think we’re all still trying to figure it out, and the comforting part of this song makes that feeling bearable.
The rousing electronic guitar, crunchy at times and throwing off a hesitate vibe, soon grows into a confident, harmonic roar. After sort of creeping along, as if it were tip-toeing, by the song’s end, it’s like a whole new world has opened up. I suppose in many ways, it’s like discovering that you don’t care what other people think of you and that you’re comfortable in your own skin. That’s cause for celebration for sure, and the guitar work, an evolving piece in “Seventeen”, furthers that tone. The energy that builds, the strength of character that shines through from these young artists is not only admirable, it’s infectious. I found myself tapping along, humming along to the words. It’s a song that might sound a little silly, considering my age, but that’s also what makes it so great. Let’s just say I’m young at heart and I found myself coming back to this song.
“Seventeen” has more depth than its title suggests. If you pull back the sparkling harmonies, and the driving guitar, this track is an impressive hit. The cadence and the charm will get you. If you’re a fan of the pop genre, and maybe dabble into the country-pop world more than you think, then “Seventeen” should be on your radar. Wild Fire have hit a homerun with this exceptional, well-executed track.
Claire Uebelacker