In today’s age, technology has flooded our lives with content. Caught in the mire are today’s musicians who champion an art form that’s more widely distributed than any other throughout human history. And we, more often than not, overlook the music created by unfamiliar faces because it’s challenging. We’d rather have an easy listen, a known quantity to skim through while we think about something else.
Hearing is easy, but listening is difficult. Welcome to “Why We Like It”, where we rebuke the trends in favor of thoughtful analysis and underknown sounds.
“Foreword” by Cam Archer
Listen On:
How We Found It
“Foreword” stood out among the tracks in our Submithub inbox, through 30-year-old Cam Archer’s clever lyricism and savage delivery. It’s not often that a track lacking a hook or chorus can seem this catchy and attention-grabbing, but the aura of confidence projected bar after bar is contagious.
Why We Like It
Bars. That’s it, that’s the whole “why we like it section.”
Searching for balance between the evils of Nirvana and the wealth of my talents / CA insane now the brainchild with aim to make Cobain proud / Before I sell my thinkin’ I would rather blow that thang out” – Cam Archer, “Foreword” (2020)
The strength of Cam Archer’s bars doesn’t just end with clever rhymes, punchlines, or word-play. Every line is crafted with the very sound of each word in mind. His unique emphasis on cadence and pacing gives the two-and-a-half-minute verse that is “Foreword” a hypnotic draw. As a rapper, he uses this skillset to creatively manipulate the listener’s attention around the combination of strong lines and the overall satisfying rhythm of his flow. At the track’s best moments, it never comes across as if Archer needs you to hear what he has to say: he knows you’re already listening.
Between firing shots at anyone who’s questioned him and sharing introspection on his strengths and weaknesses, “Foreword” is carried subtly by a producer who clearly knows the ins and outs of Cam Archer’s style and has perfected a method for extracting the gold. Producer Oh Gosh Leotus has crafted a beat that is mostly minimalist. Starting with a sound that encourages anticipation, the production oscillates back and forth between a higher and lower register, primarily riding on a steady bass rhythm. Just as Archer knowingly applies the casual give and take of his flow, Oh Gosh Leotus understands that small details used right are larger than excessive flashy moments. Each shift in the bass is complementary to the adjustments in the rapper’s rhythm. When listening closely, it’s easy to pick up on the lesson of “Foreword” – when you know your strengths and execute them confidently, it doesn’t take a big show to make people pay attention.
From Cam Archer
I wouldn’t call it a diss as much as a generalized warning shot to anyone expecting anything less than maximum effort from Cam Archer from here on out. I think I’ve shortchanged myself often over the years. Those days are over and this song is the declaration of that… My experience is different and I’m not afraid to live that experience out within my music. Sometimes I’m very introspective, other times I’m full of myself, but I’ll never sacrifice the skills I have to make those moments easier to digest.” – Cam Archer for CentralSauce (2020)
More From Cam Archer
“Foreword” is the first look into Cam Archer’s upcoming 2020 project, Fan Fiction. He says the album is a return to form for his more aggressive style of rapping. Check out his last project, Inside Voices, for the full picture of his musical range. Follow Cam on Twitter and Instagram and check out his website to stay in touch with anything he might have coming.
More to Discover
Subscribe to the CentralSauce mailing list so you never miss out on the freshest sauce. Check out this continuously updated playlist of songs Brandon has added to our Discovery section! Each track or artist has been featured in our “Why We Like It” section, so be sure to check out the page here on the site.
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