It’s always good to hear the homelands getting some love in music. The UK’s capital doesn’t get too many references these days, Iamkingziion’s here to change that though. London Times is a piece that exclusively expresses the artist’s love for the city that bred him. It does so in a lightly colorful way, showcasing a unique vocal sound and flow, as well as a musically creative and unexpectedly gentle backdrop that helps give it a widely accessible feel.
The song’s hook features the vocals of Leslie Carron and offers a moment of melody that breaks up the pace of the verses and introduces a layer of lightness that fits beautifully among the surrounding instrumentation. The contrast between this and kingziion’s own moments of performance helps give the track an alt-pop vibe that works to hold close to your attention throughout.
At almost six minutes long, you feel the length of the track in some respects, but also – you really get to familiarise yourself with that hook and that dreamlike, ambient backdrop; as well as with the king himself and all that he seeks to represent. This trip-hop inspired soundscape is actually the sort that works well for extended lengths of time, so as the fade-out towards the finish line begins, you lose yourself among the audio. At the same time, the various verses outline the humanity of it all – what it is about London, where the love stems from. All of this pours through in a subtle way, not using sheer volume or quirks to draw an audience, just speaking and performing from the heart. Iamkingziion has represented the city under a positive light here, and that’s something we need more and more of.
Download the single via iTunes. Find & follow Iamkingziion on Facebook, Soundcloud, Twitter & Instagram.
