"I Found" is Nottingham-based quartet Amber Run's best known single from their debut album 5 am (2015). The song opens with a minimalist production and hauntingly layered vocals:
'And I'll use you as a warning signThat if you talk enough sense, then you'll lose your mindAnd I'll use you as focal pointSo I don’t lose sight of what I wantAnd I've moved further than I thought I couldBut I miss you more than I thought I wouldOh I'll use you as a warning signThat if you talk enough sense, then you'll lose your mind'
It's easy to see the appeal of this piano-driven pop ballad, which relies on its anthemic chorus and "electronic textures and introspection" (Andre Paine, Standard.co.uk) to make the all-too-familiar subject matter of love seem grandiose, urgent and profound. The verses' vaguely opaque and slightly ominous couplets are promising, but the song's chorus ultimately reveals that the song is basically about falling in love with a friend (or an unsuitable love interest): 'And I found love where it wasn't supposed to be/ Right in front of me, talk some sense to me'.
Amber Run's brand of emotionally driven, athemic pop-rock has earned them comparisons to Kodaline, Bastille and London Grammar. As musicOMH's Graeme Marsh aptly observes, however, they will need futher innovation (especially in terms of songwriting) to stand out among the crowd:
"Not that there’s anything wrong with Amber Run [...] They knock out some decent tunes on their accomplished – if generic – debut and they have one key ingredient that lifts them above their peers – vocal harmonies [...]
These vocal harmonies are comfortably the most appealing aspect here, and they surface again for the incredibly spine-tingling minimalist opener I Found where a delicate piano line tinkles alongside the hauntingly affecting vocals. It’s a common trend with bands of their age that clichéd lyrics let the song down, though [...] these guys ultimately remain in the shadow of – Coldplay. The problem for all of them is that none have a world class songwriter of Chris Martin’s ability within their ranks."
