Sounding like it could have been culled from Justin Timberlake’s Man of the Woods album (in a good way), What You Didn’t Say is a complex and satisfying single that benefits hugely from the way that Alan’s voice meshes with itself to create a warm and satisfying pad of sound that elevates the chorus to something quite delicious.
Singles
Lorine Chia has a sound that is undeniably hers, and the way she floats through the stages of the track, with softness yet intention, is beautifully captivating; and genuinely refreshing amidst today’s musical landscape.
Simple Life is beautifully set-up, bringing together a blues-rock backdrop with Kirby’s own expressive and lightly raspy vocals, mixing in a touch of almost doo-wop style backing vocals – the finish is organic yet crisp and clean enough to really let you blast it at volume to immersive results.
Leading with a classically smooth and hopeful pop backdrop, a creatively meandering synth riff but one that feels notably more complex than the average pop offering, along with a light beat and a quickly emotional, compelling vocal, The Hearts Got Memory shines brightly as a retro pop classic with passion and intention.
The track works hard structurally, and Annika as a leading lady works equally hard to maintain that level of smooth & simple good times. The song is not overly optimistic or loud, far from it – there’s a subtlety to the warmth & enjoyment it drives with, and this is a big part of why it works so well & is likely to appeal on a much broader level.
Mute Davinci doesn’t hide behind anything – the music and the lyrics work as a unit to portray a sense of realness and purity. Even when effects come into play, they’re artistic choices – not something included just to sound relevant or to overcome a bad vocal; far from it. Mute’s voice works well in just about any setting.
There’s a certain passionate depth to the writing, and the featured singer handles and presents this with an air of realness. Behind the vocal though, the soundscape is decidedly complex, unexpectedly detailed and multi-layered to the point that you can pick up something new with each revisit.
17th Letter is an artist with a clear understanding of crafting an ambiance and a moment both musically and vocally with his releases. Kawasaki introduces precisely that style of creativity in an instant, slowly building a soundscape around its listeners that’s all at once contemporary and calm.
Digging deep into precisely the story-line implied by the title, Thank God You Cheated holds nothing back – regret and betrayal roam free throughout the lyrics, the verses in particular detailing both the heartbreak and the desire to move forwards.
Gangsta rap has taken something of a backseat in recent years, thanks to the rise of mumble rap and other sub-genres of the hip hop world. Strong A.R.M works hard to reignite that spark. His voice stands immensely tall on this record, the verses reach out thanks to a spacious and lightly synth-washed backdrop, so your focus is on the words – the journey, the bars, the calm yet intentional delivery.
Fusing a fairly retro, ukulele-driven soundscape, and a delicate, distant vocal melody, with a heavy bass-line and a crisp, contemporary rap flow, the song is anything but familiar, and yet it makes perfect sense just the way that it is.
I think this song is quite brilliant. It’s entertaining, layered, engaging, wears its empty heart on its sleeve and is all the more powerful the more you think about what you’ve just heard.