Snoop wants to go outside and Everything Everything are
praying to sewerage.
THE BEST:
‘I Wanna Go Outside’ – Snoop Dogg
Snoop really wants to go outside (in case you were wondering
what this track is about). If any other artist made a song like this is would be
dumb, but somehow Snoop can turn any random thought into a bop. The beat slaps
and the vocals are a mix of rapping and singing with some signature West Coast vocoders
thrown in. It might be the first lockdown anthem that I haven’t found to be
utterly nauseating.
‘Arch Enemy’ – Everything Everything
This new track from UK art rockers Everything Everything is
literally about a man praying to a sentient lump of sewerage. It could be a reference to a certain man in power,
but knowing Everything Everything’s out-there tendencies it may not be. The track
bounces along to an instrumental made up of groovy bass and gaudy synths before
teasing the listener with an eruption of manic guitars at the end. A new album
titled Re-Animator has also been announced.
‘Behind the Wall Of Sleep’ – Onoe Caponoe
Onoe Caponoe has the best ear for beats of any UK rapper. Just
listen to this gorgeous production and tell me it doesn’t give you goosebumps. The
bars seem to be an outpouring of depressive thoughts. It’s painfully raw and
one of the best tracks I’ve heard from Onoe.
‘Looking For Love’ – Drew Kelly
With its thick ultra-compressed production made up of punchy
drums and swirling synths, this track from Atlanta artist Drew Kelly has a
really cool vibe to it. It also sports a mightily catchy hook. I tried digging
for more information on this mysterious artist but ‘a boy with a passion to make
people groove’ was all I could find.
‘Highway To The Stars’ – Fabyl
This jittery single from London-based producer Nick Faber is an
intense mix of breakbeat-inspired percussion, frenetic guitars, bluesy vocals
and atmospheric synths. It’s an innovative blend of musical styles that I’d
like to hear more of. ‘Highway To The Stars’ is set to appear on an upcoming
album titled The Lost Highway Tapes, which is inspired by encounters
with busking blues musicians.
THE WORST:
‘Wunna' - Gunna
This whole trend of rapping in bullet points has to stop.
This whole trend of rapping in bullet points has to stop.