“Sinner” by Ventresca

It takes a lot to be a standout in pop music nowadays, but for Ventresca, it’s as simple as getting into the recording studio and cutting a new tune. “Sinner” is the newest track to bear her name in the byline, and while it doesn’t change anything about the formula a lot of her rivals have been utilizing for a while now (with mixed results in comparison to what we’ve got here), it unquestionably sounds like a melodic gem any way you approach it. Ventresca has a lot of eyes on her career at the moment, and after listening to this song and checking out its video, I can see why she’s become a magnet for all of the attention.  

The production quality is premium all-around for “Sinner,” and I would give particularly strong praise to the experimental style of the hook’s presentation. The chorus has so much more panache than the rest of the song, and yet it isn’t being synthetically pumped up from behind the board at all; instead, the rest of the music backs down to give the spotlight over to the synchronicity between the melodies and vocal parts exclusively. It’s a smart way of making a naturally cathartic moment even greater, and something other players might be able to learn something from on their own.  

Exploring retro alternative concepts isn’t anything new to those of us who follow indie pop in and around North America, but the way Ventresca does it in the music video for “Sinner” feels pretty original for the most part. The video thankfully focuses mostly on the music more than any highbrow visuals that might have been born of the surreal-tinged influences here, and when all is said and done I think it’s going to rank as a fan favorite among those who will be keeping up with this songstress’ journey from the underground to the primetime.  

Normally I wouldn’t want as much of an emphasis on the vocal for a song of this kind, but the scheme works rather well almost entirely because of the talent Ventresca has as a singer. She’s able to get a little indulgent in her performance here without sounding out of place solely because she has the vocal chops to sing and melodically reinterpret most anything she fancies. This could get her into considerable trouble if she gets careless in her experiments, but as of now, I don’t see this becoming a serious problem in the immediate future. Truth be told, this is a player who clearly has a handle on what she wants to do with her career. 

There aren’t a lot of noteworthy players generating any sort of real buzz in this player’s scene at the moment, and therefore I would have to say that Ventresca is doing a good job of representing her local underground passionately in “Sinner.” She’s got a skillset that could be worked into multiple different aesthetical directions, but in sticking to the pop/pop script she has been thus far I think she’s showing everyone just how mighty a voice she brings to the table with her. I’m confident this is going to increase her fan base, or, at the very least, extend it into new territories previously inaccessible to her. 

Mindy McCall