Playlist #7: Would You Be There In The Morning?
Most of the songs this week are much more chill and laid back — and that’s a good thing. You can’t spend every week of the summer partying, right? Maybe we need to take a break from the constant turn-up, maybe we just need some rest… and maybe this is turning into commentary about my life, rather than this week’s playlist. *dramatic sigh* Fine, let’s just get started:
Morning
Marc E. Bassy / Groovy People
Okay, he had a couple collabs with G-Eazy, lukewarm for the most part. But daaaaang Marc E. Bassy on his own packs a hell of a punch. His new EP, Groovy People doesn’t waste time, delivering 5/5 on chilled-out summer tracks. Picking a single standout was tough (so much so that I included another one as a bonus for this week’s playlist). In a summer packed with danceable, high-energy songs, Morning stands out by remaining soothing and relaxing. On the surface, there’s nothing extraordinary here: the piano line bares a strong resemblance to T.I. and Jamie Foxx’s Live in the Sky (also a great track), and the vocal melody is pretty standard. But the beauty is in the small details: the shimmering organ in the chorus; Marc’s unique vocals; the playful bass lines. Mark my words: if you’re looking for low key chill vibes, don’t sleep on Marc E. Bassy. — Dilip
Gone
Afrojack, Ty Dolla $ign / Single
Though we don’t often hear about Afrojack in our neck of the woods, he is something of a superstar abroad. In many European countries where EDM has been thriving for the past decade, Afrojack has made his mark as one of the eminent DJ’s in the business. This summer-ready hit features the melodies of Ty Dolla $ign along with sampled vocoder drops — I actually really like the fact that the song itself isn’t too intense. Recently, with songs like Middle, Closer, and more, electronic producers are toning back their heavy trap and dubstep elements for lighter house and FutureBeats styles. No complaints on my end — as long as they keep churning out music like this, we’re good. — Anil
Claim My Love
Jarryd James / High
Take the haunting instrumentation from James Blake’s Limit To Your Love. Then brace yourself as it collides with the crooning vocals from Hozier’s Work Song. Enter Claim My Love — a sleeper on Australian singer-songwriter and producer Jarryd James’ debut album. The track’s steady build in intensity and soulful vocal delivery evokes James’ 2015 breakthrough single, Do You Remember. The similarity is no coincidence: there’s a certain signature style with which James writes his vocal melodies and it perfectly matches his voice and production choices. James’ self-awareness allows himself to play to his strengths and as a result, Claim My Love shines.
— Dilip
Gemini Feed
Banks / Single
Banks reminds me a lot of Lana Del Ray. Her voice shows vulnerability and a color that even she sometimes cannot control — this, in my opinion, is what makes her such a unique and fascinating artist. Gemini Feed is a dark, sweepingly R&B/electronic amalgamation that works incredibly well. The ultra-minimalist intro ensnare your ears and the haunting synths in the chorus keep them satisfied for the duration of the song. You should definitely listen to her music with headphones though — I feel there are so many nuances to her voice and production that mobile or computer speakers just don’t cut it. And if you like what you’re hearing, I cannot recommend her debut album, Goddess, highly enough. — Anil
First
SoMo / Single
All the tracks I’m reviewing this week sound like they’ve been influenced heavily by other tracks. But as long as they add enough of their own personality (and the original song was actually good) this ends up being a positive. SoMo’s new single imitates Autumn Leaves, a vastly underrated track off of Chris Brown’s 2014 album, X. The melancholic lead vocal melody, the interspersed female vocal effects, and the swirling, reverb-soaked production — it’s all the same. But SoMo knows he is no Chris Brown: he can sing goofy stuff lines like “I got a Tonka truck, baby, can I put it in drive?” and we just accept it because he’s SoMo and he’s a corny dude.
— Dilip
Carry On
Norah Jones / Single
I loves me some feel-good Norah Jones. The intro piano riff and light hi-hat and drum kit just transport you into a coffee shop, sitting and sipping on a #PSL while cozying up with the latest by Jonathan Safran Foer. Jokes aside, it’s honestly so incredible that two seconds of a song, or just a hint of one’s voice, can make you feel so visceral about a place or experience. Jones’s airy voice glides in and out of the instrumentation, which is exactly what Don’t Know Why sounds like to this date. She’s got this soul that not many other artists possess, and her simplicity and honesty put in a class of her own in this genre. Sure, this song may not be as successful, but you have to admit that Norah Jones still can put out some damn good mellow music. — Anil
Bonus Tracks
Stuff we just couldn’t keep off our list.
We hope that you enjoyed the music and commentary! Please send any feedback our way — for example, if you’d prefer us to use Soundcloud, Spotify, YouTube, etc. This is definitely a work in progress, and we’d love to hear from our readers. Lastly, if you have any song suggestions, don’t be shy — we love listening to new tracks! Reach us on Twitter at @dilipsrajan and @anilchitrapu
