Bass is Pumpin is everything the title implies – BlackLight has crafted a professionally finished and creatively vibrant piece of classic dance music that carefully walks the line between retro and contemporary.
Singles
Book of Shame’s most recent release Compatibility is like an unforgettable LSD trip through time and space, that’s as lucid as it is alluringly ambiguous.
The story of “Porch” revolves around one basic concept; the idea that this man is going to build a porch for him and his partner to live, love, and grow old together on. There’s something so intrinsically appealing about a good old fashioned love song.
Everything from the performance to the production works beautifully. A refreshing new song, confident and catchy in a subtle, smooth way.
Where the experimental aspect has given the piece character and allowed it to stand out, those essential musical building blocks within present a clear knowledge of what works in composition, so there just as many addictive and satisfying riffs and flickers of colour as there are instances of the unexpected.
The sound is his, dramatic guitars and drums, expressive structures. Meanwhile multiple impressive melodies and riffs help build a sense of variety and offer anthem after anthem of soulful soft rock.
JSPH’s quietly expressive voice has a soothing effect as it pours through, and the lyrics, the concept – all of this leans in a similarly settling direction.
Where it’s often possible to listen to a variety of electronic music these days and pick out certain recognisable layers, in this case – CosmiWave offers up an arena of genuinely unorthodox yet perfectly satisfying elements.
There’s something refreshingly artistic and satisfying about this approach to songwriting and indeed to hip hop – the genre doesn’t confine, but rather, it offers a runway; from which committed and capable artists can take off into any realm of music they choose.
On top of what is a gorgeously colourful and partly organic soundscape, the artist offers up a beautifully uplifting melody-line that’s surprisingly refreshing and addictive all at once.
Offering up a structurally impressive few minutes of music and performance, the track moves skillfully from the seductively melodic hook to the musically stripped-back and rhythmic rap verses – helping build something that feels like it consistently evolves.
Lew Houston needs only the strength of his own lyricism and his ability to deliver and to keep the pace effortlessly. This whole project impresses but Safe undoubtedly makes for a great way to kick off the playlist.