You may recall the American Authors” 2014 smash hit “Best Day of My Life” that went triple-platinum, charted on Billboard and seemed to play on every radio station, ad and sporting event for years to come. Maybe you remember their 2016 hit “Go Big or Go Home” that charted, played everywhere, and was even featured in the 2019 animated feature film “Wonder Park.” While the American Authors may have amassed a large following and sold out shows and festivals all around the world, they took time off of their feel good hits to retreat into the woods of Tennessee to record new music and focus on producing new music. They began releasing music again in 2019 with the drop of their album “Stay Around,” and they have now teamed up with internationally acclaimed production duo SEEB.
SEEB, formed by Simen Eriksrud and Espen Berg, is known for their remixes that have garnered billions of streams. Their remix of Mike Posners’ “I Took A Pill In Ibiza” became the second most played song globally in 2016 and earned them collaborations with artists such as Ed Sheeran and Tove Lo. Now, SEEB and American Authors have teamed up to make “Best I Can,” a blend of SEEB’s’s Norweigan electronic sound, and American Authors’, well, American style.
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The deep and rich voice of American Author’s’s lead singer Zach Barnett opens the song. Backed by acoustic guitar strumming likely by guitarist and banjoist James Adam Shelley, with the slow progressive introduction of some stomping percussion, likely by drummer Matt Sanchez, Zach sings, “Some people promise you the fame and all the riches/But I promise I’ll be by your side right there to listen/Some people promise you the world and all its glory/But I promise I’ll be here whenever you get lonely.” The group uses the listing of grand claims to contrast the simple wish to just be there for someone. The lyrics and acoustic sound make the song open as though it will simply be a classic folk song that aligns with the group’s usual sound.
In the next verse Zach compares the song’s subject’s eyes to “the archangels” and the subject being “made from the holiest wine.” These bold comparisons differ from the simplicity of the declarations in the first verse.
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Slight electronic notes are introduced in the song’s’s pre-chorus, before there is a sudden beat drop. This is distinctly different from American Authors’ past works, and is clearly the introduction of SEEB into the project. The buildup’s’s sound is similar to the 2017 hit by the Chainsmokers and Coldplay, “Something Just Like This,” which also blended acoustic sounds with strong electronic beats. SEEB’s synths are heavy, upbeat and rave-worthy, continuing behind Zach’s’s more rustic voice and lyrics, “Cuz I’m not like a god, no I ain’t heaven sent/All I am is human loving you the best I can…”
“Best I Can” is an electronic first for American Authors, and another successful collaboration from SEEB. Similar to the music they made with OneRepublic and Coldplay, SEEB maintains the core of the song’s original intention while bringing a whole new sound. The production value is as high as the emotions are running, on “Best I Can.” There are no false promises as SEEBs production style electrifies American Authors’ folksy and simple promises of being true and steady in their love. “Best I Can” is jumping up and down on the beach, smiles wide, sand kicking and hands held by someone you love.
You can stream “Best I Can” everywhere!
Feature image courtesy of American Authors’ PR
