So you’ve been busy, what with decking the halls, falalalalalalalala-ing and watching chestnuts roast on an open fire – not to mention all those sleigh rides and worrying about how cold it is outside – and things don’t look like slowing too soon.
Behold the festive stress reducer – 5 songs from amazing artists who understood that taking some time out to think, ponder and chill is worth your time, no matter what time of the year it is.
But do you particularly need a breather now? Why yes, you do … and here it is.
“Like It’s Over” by Jai Wolf (feat. MNDR)
There is a haunting other-worldliness to “Like It’s Over”, much of it courtesy of MNDR who invests the song with a panoply of melancholic emotions which perfectly match the divinely beautiful music of NYC-based Jai Wolf, an artist who’s been attracting quite of attention of late.
The result of the combination of these two talents, the precursor to Wolf’s just-released Kindred Spirits EP, is mesmerisingly good, the song redolent of every emotion you feel when you crave being close to someone, even as that closeness ebbs away.
In fact so close and intimate is this song that you feel like you are witnessing a closed loop between two people, something you shouldn’t necessarily be witnessing because of its raw emotional intimacy but are, a moment in time when life has ground to a halt and all that matters is the here and now.
It’s deeply immersive in ways you might not expect notes Bit Candy:
“If you experience synesthesia, expect to see a variety of silver and gold constellations as you listen, and if you don’t, expect to be dazzled regardless.”
“Fiction” by ECHOS
There is some deliciously discordant percussion in “Fiction” by Portland-based duo Echos, with warped, twisted beats lacing themselves in and out of this passionate song about how easy it is to become lost in that limbo between reality and the lies we tell ourselves.
Says frontwoman Lexi Norton of the song (via Dork):
“This track is about feeling lost inside of the fictional stories we tell ourselves. Blending in between the lines of positive and negative thinking seems to be quite a common theme of mine.”
There is a deep emotional resonance to Norton’s lyrics and to her sublimely transcendant voice that seems to have the full expression of human emotional experience embodied in it.
And much of it seems to be in “Fiction”, aching regret, loss and confusion that can’t help but touch a nerve.
“Rooftop” by Jordan Rakei
Brisbane-born, London-based singer/producer Jordan Rakei is a master of delivering up gorgeous songs of exquisite love and heartache, propelled by an emotionally-resonant voice that captivates with every word sung.
“Rooftop”, which draws on his soul and hip-hop roots is emblematic of his exquisitely moving musical style, contemplates where the love he’s feeling is really as substantial as he thinks it is.
I found love
Has this love even found me?
Felt deep for nothing
Still I’m falling for you
I found love
Has this love even found me
Felt deep for nothing
Still I’m falling for you
It is a hauntingly beautiful song that comes with an inventive clip that shows a man in tears and the rewinds showing how he came to be in that emotionally-ruinous position.
Love may not always be beautiful and uplifting but when it turns dark, you want to have someone as soulful as Jordan Rakei documenting its regretful decline.
“Get Bigger” by NxWorries
“Get Bigger” is as smooth as they come.
The result of a collaboration between Californian singer/producer Anderson .Paak and LA-based instrumental hip hop musician KNXWLEDGE, is a loping, relaxed affair that is the perfect accompaniment to those rare moments when you stop, put your feet and kick back and enjoy life.
As Pitchfork illuminates, this most supremely chilled of songs shows what can happen when two eminently-talented artists joined forces:
“As the cut reminds us, Knxwledge and .Paak excel at highlighting each other’s strengths while maintaining their individual flair. Here, Knxwledge’s drums swing with J Dilla-esque abandon over a sample that Madlib might pick (but would never chop the same way). Meanwhile, .Paak looks back on his hip-hop ascent (“Closing my eyes/’Visioning Monte Carlos with tinted windows and balling legitimate”) and, simultaneously, his relationship’s literal descent (“Open my eyes, she was kissing my constituent/I pushed that bitch off the cliff”). He pivots not only between those emotional extremes but also James Brown-worthy yelps and Andre 3000-style drawls.”
“Rain Dance” by Whilk and Misky
The opening line “I can feel a storm coming” underscores how gloriously grittily dark and moody “Rain Dance” by Whilk and Misky, a London-based duo who describe their division of labour thus:
“Nima produces and Charlie does the vocals. Together we co-write the songs.”
The track is rife with sensual atmospherics, underpinned by a blues-tinged beat and husky vocals that leave you feeling as if you are out in the storm with the twosome, letting the wildness of the outside world wherever it so wills.
I particualrly like the way Bit Candy describes this most individual and earthy of songs:
“The slow burning track draws you in with deep vocals, soft snaps, and rain-like instrumentals that get you ready for what comes next —Raw electric guitar, soft percussion, and gospel backing vocals that build into a dramatic climax at the 2:20 mark that you wont expect.”
This is song that builds and builds echoing the swirling eddies and currents of a storm and I can only imagine what it must be like to listen to the song as the heavens open with furious majesty and power.
NOW THIS IS MUSIC EXTRA EXTRA!
OK GO are a group known for their amazingly creative videos.
Whether they’re leaping from treadmill machines in perfect sync (“Here It Goes Again”) or expertly executing zero gravity choreography (“Upside Down and Inside Out”), they create memorable visual companions for their songs.
Their latest creation for “The One Moment” is no exception and you can find out more about how it came to be at IndieWire.