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.
“Theme Music” by Good.To.Go
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- Listen on Spotify
How we found it
The Los Angeles based emcee Good.To.Go grabbed my attention through the submission of “Theme Music” to our SubmitHub music portal. As individual pieces, the track’s background and vocals both stand out in variety and pleasing tones, but it’s the contrast of the two pieces together that really warranted the immediate second play.
Why we like it
Good.To.Go’s choice of press shots couldn’t embody the feelings presented in “Theme Music” any better than the image I chose for this write-up’s cover art. As vibrant and energic as the track sounds, I’m a little surprised when I open my eyes after the three minutes run time to still be sitting at my desk.
The track opens on a choir gently harmonizing, drums roll in slowly but boldly, and an energetic “Wooo! Everybody deserves their own theme music, but for now you can borrow mine,” breaks the illusion that the vocalist’s intention will be to ride the harmony. Good.To.Go’s steady flow builds a solid foundation for laying bars across the track. The clear and polished delivery is quick enough to transfer its energy over the slow and minimalistic background, yet leaves plenty of internal space for the beat to have its own moments.
Throughout the track the choir continuously holds down the gently rolling feel of “Theme Music” and while keeping things simple, the drums add their own bit of magic. The result is a pleasant cruising altitude that combined with the psychedelic imagery of the lyrics paints the feeling of a perfect trip. Obviously meant to be the artist’s theme song, the chorus of “When I say good to, you say go / Good to! Go! Good to! Go!” can only embody the response of a well-intentioned trip sitter leading a goofy gang full of LSD in a giant, warm, team-building exercise. That kind of energy brings color bursting from the marriage of simple beat and steady vocals. All you have to do to see it is close your eyes and you’re good to go.
It baffles me / the apathy / turning hearts to atrophy / go and take a hit of this and give your soul amnesty / Hoffman, Leary, bloosom theories / Now I see the universe, it’s awesome clearly” – Good.To.Go, ‘Theme Music’ (2019)
From the artist
The inspiration of ‘Theme Music’ was just how any track really starts. The Beat inspiring whatever comes out of me. This one in particular though is fun because it was the night before a show I was playing, and John Werthmann (the producer) who was drumming for that particular live show, showed me a beat he was working on at rehearsal, and it completely had me. Right when it blasted through the PA, I was like, “we’re doing this at the show tomorrow.” He was like, ‘are you sure?, and I was like, “yep, I’ll freestyle the whole thing”. At that show, the hook came out on its own with the call and response and the crowd screamed “GO!” back each time. It was settled, and it felt my like personal Theme Music. Being a superhero on stage.” Good.To.Go for Central Sauce (2019)
More from the artist
Follow Good.To.Go on Spotify and check out his other singles. Connect with the artist on Twitter or visit his website for tour information and more!