With this delicious, tight, new EP from Fifth Lucky Dragon, we get a beautifully produced trio of pop gems that sound punchy and colorful, perfectly in time for the spring season.
Fifth Lucky Dragon is the moniker for Louis Imperiale, a writer, producer, singer, and creative director that’s based in Indianapolis. His previous singles have already been smash hits across platforms, especially on TikTok, where he has amassed more than 100k views. His sound is, simply put, delicious pop. Short bursts of colorful music, with crisp production, easy-to-follow compositions, and arrangements, and for sure, snappy and memorable lines and melodies. White Lies & Purple Elephants is no exception. The starting and title track is about lies that start as harmless, passive, “white” lies, and eventually start to gain momentum until they become problematic, and a hurdle that needs to be crossed. The music is punchy and sweet, based on an operatic choir that sings the titles dramatically, adding a distinct color. The syncopation of the main vocal melody is the engine that propels this song’s immaculate groove forward, with minimalistic beats and compositions, the space is vast for the vocals to show off, playing with rhythm and melody freely.
Don’t Look Too Far Ahead is a more sentimental offering. With a cheerful, optimistic composition, the melodies of this song are a little less groovy than the starting song, favoring a more conversational route, as Imperiale comforts listeners that looking too far ahead serves no good, no one can see the future, and it’s not worth losing anymore sleep over what we cannot control or change. A delightfully hot saxophone wails charismatically and takes this song easily to the rich realms of funk pop. Mango, the closer sticks to the formula started by the first song. A more rhythmic and syncopated vocal delivery sits on top a throbbing synth backing, and a lively, brisk drum part, for a short song of fast paced, energizing fun.
Fifth Lucky Dragon’s music is neat and immaculately clean. His songwriting is restrained and his arrangement ideas are fresh and exciting, resulting in songs that are way more memorable and rich than what’s normal for pop that sounds this simple, making me think that maybe after all, pop that sounds this simple, is not actually this simple.