Kicking off the brand new full-length project Big Racks, $tandard lays down an emotive and alluring foundation, with the presence of a contemporary yet classic Knot$.
Blending age-old vocal melodies and taking a respectable length of time to introduce the mood, the track goes on to weave in a modern trap rhythm and vocal, effected yet emotive, and delivers a relentless outpouring of story and varied flows for an impressively versatile opening track.
While the vibe feels heavily meaningful, of depth, the lyrical substance occasionally contrasts this with lighter-hearted references, familiarity, confidence and subtle grit; qualities that juxtapose other musically creative moments throughout the project.
Lean Pouring follows with a similarly refreshing edge of musicality. Melodic vocals inject a catchy yet thoughtful hook, and the track soon becomes an early anthem and stand-out moment from the Big Racks playlist.
The ten-track collection continues to keep things instrumentally fresh. Consider the raw acoustic presentation of How Far I’ll Go, again immediately enchanting, authentic and passionate, with another hit of contrast as the verses strike. Vulnerability plays a role, depth returns, and the whole thing makes for easily one of the most enjoyable tracks of the release.
After this, No Trust utilises smooth strings and plenty of space, to again feed into the $tandard approach of genre-fusion, storytelling and intention. The sound fits the scene, yet also weaves in a welcomed twist of originality and nostalgia all at once. The vibe is easy to get into, and the lyrics keep on revealing a little more with each new bar and each revisit to the album.
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