There is something special about music that can create a feeling of intimacy through a soundcloud link. “Something Bout You” transforms you into a fly on the wall of Emma’s thoughts, sculpting a gorgeous dedication to her love. The silky guitar strings add heart to the soul of the swinging drums…
Why We Like It
Why We Like It: TriOrca’s “Missing”
Despite the serenity of the chords and smoothness of Whitney Myer’s vocals, the drums still have the right amount of crack to them to add an edge to the daydream invoked by the track. TriOrca perfectly capture the feeling of almost achieving perfection, the feeling when life starts to fall into place, and you await the last piece of the jigsaw…
Why We Like It: Arjuna Oakes’ “Lost”
The bassline on “Lost” works to define a beautiful groove, keys twinkle among the crashes and thumps of the drums, horns introduce themselves during a glorious chorus before taking centre stage during a solo, hoisted up in the mix by the other instrumentation to create a gorgeous musical totem pole…
Why We Like It: Duckie Mr. Poetry’s “You Was Family”
“You Was Family” is a rewarding listen for the foreground and background. You can focus in to appreciate the storytelling and the finer details of his multiple flows, or you can play it for the ambience and sing along with the hook and nod your head absently to the beat. This track is nearly as versatile as Duckie Mr Poetry himself
Why We Like It: “Skipping School” by ZEKIEL
Every moment spent with “Skipping School” is a moment spent journeying through a thick and generous soundscape. The track constantly shakes the foundations built by the listener’s own expectations. As with any good adventure, ZEKIEL understands that breaking expectations is a key component of keeping the audience engaged…
Why We Like It: RASHAD RELOADED’s “Nights”
Rashad’s command of tenor and flow pairs perfectly with his ear for composition, perhaps best illustrated by the simple-yet-effective structure that flaunts hooks, spotlights verses and subtly showcases an intricate and ever-evolving instrumental. The label “singer-songwriter” has proven largely synonymous with white, guitar-toting acoustic acts, but there’s so much more to songwriting than straw fedoras and coffee shop gigs. In a just world, RASHAD RELOADED’s command of form and delivery would be enough to dash that lingering misappropriation.
Why We Like It: Michael Rich’s “Let Me Tell You”
An ideal fusion of hip-hop tenets and pop sensibilities, “Let Me Tell You” is an anthemic cut that matches catchy refrains with a formidable command of language. Rich showcases bars, sung vocals and songwriting chops across the three-and-a-half minutes, his multifaceted talents buoyed by a universal tale of head-over-heels love…
Why We Like It: Darren James – “Fuckin It Up”
At a brisk three minutes, Darren James wastes no time with extended instrumental passages: the intro is fleeting, the outro is virtually non-existent, and everything in between is underpinned by an exuberance that manifests as ostentatious bars, commanding cadences and palpable enthusiasm…
Why We Like It: Kara Ali’s “D_lete”
Perhaps only in music can intense reflection on very dark moments of life sound so uplifting. This phenomena may have been perfected recently in Tyler the Creator’s “GONE GONE / THANK YOU” as he expresses utter elation at falling out of love with a sound that is overwhelmingly positive and exciting. “D_LETE” successfully achieves the same complex emotional response with its uplifting retrospection, but in a way that is unique to Ali’s new vintage sound.
Why We Like It: Carter Ace’s “Baggage”
The world built on “Baggage” by the lush keys and the unbelievably bouncy bass acts as an antithesis for the struggles Carter Ace details lyrically. The instrumental is as light as air while Carter spills out his frustration with the emotional baggage that weighs him down constantly. There is an element of ‘singing through the pain’…
