Ansel Elgort, You Can Count on Me | Track Review 🎵

Ansel Elgort enlists his buddy Logic on pleasing, love-oriented single, “You Can Count on Me.”  

You knew it was coming.  After actor-musician Ansel Elgort was featured on “Killing Spree” from Everybody, you knew that his buddy Logic would reciprocate.  Indeed, the Ansel Elgort lead single “You Can Count on Me” features one Sir Robert Hall, better known as Logic.  The question is, is this single and collaboration worthy of the hype?

First things first, Ansel Elgort is no slouch.  The 23-year old has the chops – aka he can sing.  One of the pros about “You Can Count on Me” is how robust his voice sounds.  The same could be said of his guest vocals on “Killing Spree.” Maybe his huskiness doesn’t allow for him to deliver agile runs, but there’s no doubt Elgort has the tools to be a successful pop artist.

That considered, at first “You Can Count on Me” comes off a bit clunky.  The palette of sounds used are superb, but it takes a while for things to lock in.  Once the record gets cooking, the listener can see the logical progression of things. Adding to clunky nature is the nature of the beast. This is a gimmicky record – it’s meant to sound sort of ‘glitchy’, with the combo of glitches and more sustained synths creating a music oxymoron of sorts.

Does Logic enhance “You Can Count on Me”? He definitely provides a change of pace, but arguably, one takes more away from the vibe than the lyrics.  The sole reason why the single gets a parental advisory label is thanks to one f-bomb from the MC.  Is it a memorable f-bomb? Eh, has no more damning ability than any others.  Give Logic credit for “And even though we got more issues than GQ / No matter what happens, it’s always gon’ be you.”

Final Thoughts

All in all, “You Can Count on Me” is self-explanatory.  As a single, it’s enjoyable, but not game changing.  The biggest quibble is that it’s a bit odd.  Still, even with its idiosyncrasies, there’s a charm about it, whether it’s those robust pipes from Elgort himself or the quirkier elements of the production.

Ansel Elgort • You Can Count on Me – Single • Island • Release: 6.2.17

Photo Credit: Island