Richard Berger Gets Honest About Unspoken Feelings in New Track "Work It Out"
- Isabella Basile
- Jul 25
- 3 min read
Richard Berger’s music blends jazz, rock, neo-psychedelic synth pop, and R&B. With these blended genres, his sound captures “classic retro vibes with a fresh new twist.” Following his latest album, Retrovert and following single, "Look Around," Berger teamed up with Chris Byman on drums, and shortly after formed a new band, The Retroverts, with Hefty Chieftain on the guitar and Mark Lang on bass. Berger's latest single, "Work It Out" explores the fear of approaching someone you have feelings for and not knowing if they will feel the same way as you.
Richard Berger's latest single, "Work It Out" opens with synth, a steady drums , and a groovy beat. The lyrics come in soft, "move closer / don’t know how to approach her / go slower / think she knows," spoken like a teenager in love with a girl he just met on the dance floor.
Does he move closer? He admits, "I’m afraid to try / but I can’t live a lie / can’t you see I’m shy / I don’t know if we can work it out" knowing that he can’t lie to himself about his love for this girl, but he's still unsure if he can muster the courage to go up and talk to her.
With its vibrant basslines, shimmering keys, and smooth vocals, "Work It Out" sets the stage for a subtly infectious groove. There’s no doubt this track will get everyone moving on the dance floor.
The breakdown features another lush synth layered with tambourine, setting the stage for the lyrics, "If we see it your way / but if we see it my way / we can work it out / we can work it out." A catchy electro synth solo follows, accented by more tambourine and the subtle addition of a shaker. The next chorus brings a vocal stutter on the word "shy," cleverly reinforcing the song’s theme of hesitation and emotional vulnerability.
"Once I found the chord progression for the chorus, I was able to write “Work It Out” pretty quickly…but I sat on it for a while. I felt like there was something missing. Then I met Chris Byman, and he recorded the drums and percussion, and it made a huge difference. I added a few guitar parts and it was ready to go." - Richard Berger
At the end of the song, the chorus is changed from the repeating "I’m afraid to try / but i can’t live a lie / can’t you see I’m shy / I don’t know if we can work it out" to "I’m afraid to try / but I can’t live a lie lie / can't she see me cry / I don’t know if we can work it out" pausing on the words "try" "lie" cry" and "out" emphasizing his hesitency.
"Work It Out" draws out emotions you may have forgotten about the start of a relationship: the pureness of a crush, the fear of confessing, the pining, and the adrenaline you get while you confess.
LONG STORY SHORT: Richard Berger’s latest release, "Work It Out," gets groovy with synth, electro, rock, and R&B styles reminiscent of the '70s and '80s, and brings you back to the days of teenage crushes and all the nerves that came with them!
Stream "Work It Out" below!
Credits:
Keyboards, Vocals: Richard Berger
Drums: Chris Byman
