Now Listening: This Week's Tracks

Music

Mar 8

By Rufaro Chiswo, V. Freeman, Sahar Ghadirian, & Patrick Zavorskas

Tayo Sound - “Runaway”

Tayo Sound showcases maturity and promising talent on “Runaway”. Based in Reading, England, previously as a full-time busker, his work ethic is mirrored in the quality of his releases. The title track, taken from the 18 year old’s debut EP released back in February, draws sonic resemblance to the distinctive indie/alt pop feel that Dominic Fike’s music holds.

The vocals are bright and clear-headed as they contemplate the complications of young love. The instrumentation is comforting, and with the lyrical hint of an outgrown love interest, the music video revels in a similar bittersweetness. The video has a mix of FX and creative animation which brings Tayo Sound’s lyrics to life in a burst of colour.

Having gained support from different stations at BBC Radio, it is clear the artist has wide appeal. His ongoing success with streaming services, as well as previously working with members of Easy Life and Aluna George, is set to propel the artist into more people’s music libraries with a follow up to come later this year. Tayo Sound is a name to keep an eye on in 2021 and beyond.

Charlie Houston - “Things”

Those meaningless walks always hold more gravity when someone is on your mind. It’s as if they are still controlling where you are headed, but are nowhere to be seen. Charlie Houston has found a way to blend self-reflection and shame, stemming from toxic memories, without sacrificing the raw emotions both can leave over in us. “Things” is a mellow track that stays occupied in a downtempo, bluesy soaked sound yet, at times, it signals a bass riff that makes you want to jump up and let your body find a dance floor to shake loose of the past. Many of us have had to recollect ourselves after falling hard for someone - not only the unrequited feelings seeming to fall at our feet but the person we see in the mirror. “I just did things cause you did them too/ Didn’t really want to/ I’m just tryna get with you” are the lines that cling to your ear throughout the entire track. Houston is able to be vulnerable while using the song as a mirror - it seems to be the one she wished she had looked into more as she allowed her feelings for this person change her into someone she didn’t care to know. As Charlie’s ruminating walk comes to a final note on the track, she is accepting the past, but her voice has hints of reminders to herself of: never let history repeat twice. Houston wants to make authenticity shine throughout all the songs she creates, and, as “Things'' shows, she is making us all wish we had the talent to turn our sorrows into soundscapes of stunning reflections.

BAD CHILD - “Mannequin”

With the opening jarring and distorted laughing that that start off BAD CHILD’s latest single “Mannequin”, the Canadian artist cements himself as an experimental force. “Mannequin” is a short track that packs in robust synths with interspersed percussive sounds, ad-libs and additional foley audio, and all these elements are tied together with BAD CHILD’s crisp vocals coupled with rapping that is reminiscent of Kevin Abstract. Halfway through, the song completely shifts gears and transforms into the 2021 version of something Gary Numan could have produced. “Mannequin” is a single from BAD CHILD’s latest record, Free Trial, a concept album that looks into relationships and human connection in the age of the internet. The 19 track record is an immersive and ambitious debut that sees BAD CHILD develop his musical identity, and “Mannequin” is the perfect place for any new fans to start.

Chance The Rapper - “The Heart & The Tongue”

Every rapper has a poet inside of them. In the case of Chance the Rapper, before a rhymtihic message can escape his mouth, we already know to expect the Chicago poet, in him, to take over the track. Last Thursday, “The Heart & The Tongue” video premiered and my ears couldn’t hold back from the smile they wanted to make: Chance the Rapper has landed back down from hubris’ cloud. After dropping his 2019 album, The Big Day, mixed reviews soared while many devoted fans didn’t mind the experimentation yet they longed for the poet to inspire them to see better days. Before a minute can be reached in the new song, it is clear Chance the Rapper is wrestling with his ambition and the purpose he believes his music can serve - not only as a homage to God, but a way to wield a heart back into the world. We are in a society nowadays that seems to be missing the meaning for making things, especially in the arena of rap/hip-hop music. Chance’s hiatus was used to take notes of what his genre and his new sound was missing, and the answer was simple: himself. It’s fitting then that “The Heart & The Tongue” hold lines ringing of Chicago poetry slams and words that can fit into a secret notebook. The entire track you can sense the tone in Chance’s voice ratcheting up, building up to something as a beautiful sample floats in between each of his syllables. As the crescendo comes, preparing us for the final beat, biblical similes and metaphors reigning down, Chance leaves us in waiting as if his Second Coming is the precursor to more to come. Whatever he has us waiting for, I can rest easy knowing this time around...a poet might be able to change the world.

Slow Corpse - “It Feels Right”

“It Feels Right” is a whole dang vibe - equal parts kinky and sexy, as it is brutally honest and cold. Written by the indie-rock power couple, Mitchell Winters & Brenton Clarke of Slow Corpse with the help of Cameron Spies and Nuri Hobbess, “It Feels Right” comes off their second full-length LP Bite Your Tongue. The track narrates the story of a modern-day Cassanova, filled with contradictory emotions and thoughts that seems to humanize that character more than disullisons it. It explores the fight between confidence and insecurity, feelings of unrequited love, questioning people's intentions, and being unsure how to navigate new relationships - all over the sound of a banging, lo-fi trap beat. While the album and tracks themselves explore everything from ambivalence, hedonism, self-deprecation, confidence, and heartbreak, this particular song and its lyrics find our writers at their most vulnerable, and in turn, makes it something we can all truly relate to. It is the ultimate song of growing to understand your self-worth.

Chris James - “4am Magic”

With the devastating news that the otherworldly electronic duo Daft Punk had officially ended their musical voyage, it is incredible to hear the massive impact they have had on how music is being produced 28 years later, and Chris James’ “4AM Magic” perfectly captures this. “4 AM Magic” is a disco-pop single written and produced entirely by Chris James and the third single from his upcoming full-length LP, The Fear of Missing Out. Stacked with dreamy violins, perfectly placed percussive claps and clicks, and the chorus’s use of vocal manipulation which emulates the Daft Punk sound, “4AM Magic” is a charming single that is inspired by the unpredictability of pre-COVID nightlife. James states, “This song is a memory of when life was still normal and we were able to have these nights where anything could happen,” which is perfectly summed up in the line “lt's that 4AM magic, when no one's reading the rules cause all the lights go out”. Chris James’ writing talents have not only handed him a viral hit in China with his single “Not Angry”, but also a writing credit on BTS’ Billboard #1 hit, “Life Goes On”. With a smashing single like “4AM Magic” and a clearly promising career ahead of him, Chris James’ sophomore record - set for release on June 18th - is something you don’t want to miss.

Dameer - “Michelle”

Dameer’s “Michelle” is the latest track off their debut album, For We Are Distant. The song, which works in tandem with the album’s title, is a catchy and upbeat break-up anthem - one that tries to find closure within its three minute and forty-two second timeframe. Written while settling into a new city after the separation, Dameer says that he “felt like I was thrust back into the abyss, all alone in this vast city. I felt like the world was laughing at me.” In return, he created the song as a way to find some sunshine at the end of the darkness. The uplifting melody is a contradiction of warmth and nostalgia, compared to the lyrics that add a sense of clouded depths, trying to move on from a relationship with a broken heart. The lyrics and its messages aren’t bitter ones - but ones that make you realize that there is always tomorrow, and brand new day is just on the horizon.

Julia Gomez - “Cry Over You”

Ironically, Julia Gomez’s alt-pop output “Cry Over You” defies the act of crying in the aftermath of heartbreak. Gomez’s gentle melody teaches that self-care is the very antidote to lovelorn frustrations. The singer indulges in playful and empowering ideals by focusing on herself, rather than tears for someone else.

Based in Nashville, TN, Julia Gomez excels as an independent artist as she writes, records and produces her music. The latest release “Cry Over You” was recorded in the singer’s bedroom studio last summer.

Diving into the beginning of the song, indie electro guitar sounds quickly flourish and linger in the background as the sound blends into sweet pop. Julia’s soulful, layered vocals hold a unique presence in the track which adds charm when performed in the music video. Shot and edited by Athena Kulb, the video paints a picture of the singer’s sense of liberation as she dances and plays in shots cut between an outdoor setting and a dreamy soft-lit studio.

Ending on a breezy, ethereal note, the singer exudes comfort and hope. Listen to Julia Gomez’s latest single and experience a glimpse into cheerful sounds of spring to come.

Harry Heart - “Heat”

Harry Heart returns with his latest single “Heat”, an alluring and moody fusion of alt-RnB and indie rock. The single consists of fluttering guitars and a steady R&B groove which Heart explains are the primary influence for this track. “The Weeknd is the spirit animal of this song, I've always had a weakness for seductive simplicity in music,” which is captured in the metronomic verse instrumental and expressive lyrics. Exploring themes of loyalty and possessiveness, Harry Heart taps into the darker and more eerie aspects of love just as his main inspiration did in his first three projects. The infectious nature of Heart’s music has gained him some attention with BBC Radio 6 and he’s even been playlisted on Apple Music’s Acoustic Chill, Nightcap, and Today’s Acoustic playlists. While the release of a project hasn’t been confirmed as yet, “Heat” is definitely a song to keep on repeat in the meantime.

Mojo JNR - You Got It (or something like that)

Mojo JNR’s “You Got It (or Something Like That)” is the newest single from singer-songwriter Josh David-Read. Written in isolation alongside his long-term girlfriend in a rented-out old 70’s decorated house, it is a tender, “anti-love song,” that reflects on the moments right before attraction settles in. It is the time where you finally lock eyes with someone across the room - that instant boom of adrenaline, the production of butterflies in your stomach. The song itself is light and nostalgic, with instrumentation inspired by 70’s analog synths blending in together a summery, yet dreamy soundscape. Josh David-Read’s husky and soothing voice reinforces these ideas, allowing the listener to be fully engaged within the narrative of his story. While he writes from a place of personal experience, this song is one we can certainly relate to - and will certainly keep on repeat.

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