John Tejada – “Lakewood Drive” (Singles Going Steady)

Chris Ingalls: John Tejada is a ridiculously prolific artist, and this latest offering is more of the “techno minimalist” dance music he’s known for. I like how the song takes its time, bringing in different layers of sound with a very deliberate pace — it provides an interesting counterpoint to the insistent, if sparse, beat. Perhaps a bit too long of a run time, but the ride to “Lakewood Drive” is a pleasant one. [7/10]

Emmanuel Elone: Like many other electronic/chillwave music out right now, “Lakewood Drive” is too long and one-dimensional for its own good. The beat, while smooth and steady, never deviates or changes in any way, yet John Tejada saw fit to string this monotonous piece of electronica for six full minutes. The sad thing is that, had the song been only a couple of minutes, it would be decent, but any enjoyment that could be possibly had from the beat dissipates as it overstays its welcome and delays its long-overdue departure. It’s annoying, repetitive, and simply frustrating to listen to the entirety of “Lakewood Drive”. [3/10]

John Garratt: Buoyed by an undercurrent that’s as smoggy as the air, “Lakewood Drive” is giving me that not-so-fresh feeling. I never realized that Los Angeles was so smothered in earth tones, a trait that makes for a weird juxtaposition against electronic music. “Lakewood Drive” might not be much of a single, but it’s an excellent soundtrack to a hideously muggy day. Besides, John Tejada has always been good for the album format. [6/10]

Chad Miller: Moves much too slowly for me in the beginning, but about halfway through it finds a nice place to settle into after a decent buildup. Unfortunately, the resolution moves back into the more boring area occupied at the beginning. Luckily the sample it relies on is a good one and attracts a lot of versatile samples to spin around it. [6/10]

SCORE: 5.50