This week, Coldplay go jazzy and
Vince Staples goes pop.
THE BEST:
‘It Might Be Time’ – Tame Impala
‘You ain’t as young as you used
to be’. I hate how depressingly relatable these lyrics are. The fact that
those synths sound like the Kill Bill siren also adds to the anxiety. And yet
the groovy pounding drums and gorgeous keys make this the most enjoyable panic
attack I’ve ever had. Tame Impala will be releasing a new album in 2020 and I’m
interested to hear him exploring this new sound further.
‘Arabesque’ - Coldplay
Coldplay just released two new singles
- ‘Orphans’ and ‘Arabesque’. Whilst ‘Orphans’
is typically dull pop-rock, this second single ‘Arabesque’ is surprisingly adventurous
for the band. There’s a long jazzy sax solo, Chris Martin briefly sings in
French, plus the loud stabbing chords at the end are pretty unique. There even
seems to be a touch of detune on the production to give it a worn vinyl effect.
‘Descent’ – Pantology ft.
Sergei Avanesov
Those craving some more jazzy sax
ought to check out this new hypnotic instrumental from producer Pantology. The
sax comes courtesy of NYC saxophonist Sergei Avanesov and weaves its way
through the rest of the production made up of flourishes of piano, woozy bass
and punchy drums. It’s got a distinctive Flying Lotus flavour to it and I love
how detailed it is.
‘Stay on me’ – Forces
The Kim Wilde-esque vocals and
groovy guitars at the start had me expecting some 80s new wave rock, but what
follows is something completely genre-bending. Around the 1:10 mark, it almost
sounded like an electro version of Arctic Monkeys ‘Why D’you Only Call Me When
You’re High’. The track then morphs into a full-on disco anthem, while still
carrying a cool indie vibe to it. It’s left me wanting more of their unique
sound.
‘Mother Maybe’ – Kadjha Bonet
I just found out this track is
over a year old (which makes this track ancient in blogging terms). However, it
seems like a crime to not give this track the exposure it deserves. It starts
with some retro soul instrumentation and then the vocals come in and you
realise this is not just any 70s soul homage. Kadjha has an album out titled Childqueen
that you can check out here.
THE WORST:
‘Sheet Music’ - Vince Staples
Sheet music? MORE LIKE SHIT MUSIC. I expected more from Vince than a Fetty-Wap-level
pop-rap song about sleeping with other dudes’ chicks. The lyrics are shallow to
the point of parody. I’m even convinced he may be trolling us.