Mich Straaw’s CTRL is a sublime ode to the chase
Straaw is definitely in CTRL
Mich Straaw must be tired of people being genuinely surprised that he’s only been a professional musician for a year. Few new age musicians have the kind of stage presence and artistry that Mich Straaw has shown or the enthusiasm with which he has embraced performing live, doing a number of small intimate shows across Lagos, earning his fan base one heartfelt performance at a time. It is even more impressive that Straaw only has one official single to ‘Yours Sincerely’ and performs a set list of self written but unreleased songs, and hardly ever leans on covers from other more established musicians. He’s the real deal, with dedication to the craft and respect for the listener.
But he’s changing that little bit about having just one single by releasing his second “CTRL”. Did your mind immediately travel to American singer SZA? That puts him in good company. He uses the voicemail intro, a trick she employs to set the scene for the song’s themes, drawing us in before the music drops. CTRL is heavy on the self introspection and a willingness to explore male sexuality and vulnerability around the kind of woman that inspires a man to ‘chase’. 90’s inspired synth chords hum like a carpet of sound, with simple 808 loops chasing light piano runs while Straaw switches between lush vocals and a throaty 16 bars, as he boasts about his prowess and her hesitance to give in to him.
There’s never any urgency, and there needn’t be, Mich Straaw is in control on every note, and he knows it.
Listen to “CTRL” here.
