I didn’t do a track roundup last week, so here’s a track roundup of the last two weeks. Artists featured this week include Benny the Butcher, Meat Wave, goldenbloom, Quiet Man, Kalopsia and The Chainsmokers.
THE BEST:
‘10 More Commandments’ – Benny The Butcher ft. Diddy
This new song from New York rapper Benny The Butcher is a sequel
to ‘Ten Crack Commandments’ by Biggie Smalls. Like its predecessor, it’s
essentially an instructional guide on how to become a drug kingpin – only this
time made relevant to 2022. It’s got a phenomenal beat and Benny’s bars are
crazy. If I ever do decide to become a dealer, I’ll be sure to return to this
song for inspiration.
‘Honest Living’ – Meat Wave
Chicago rock trio Meat Wave grabbed my attention last year with
their intense single ‘Yell At The Moon’, which ended up making my favourite tracks of 2021. ‘Honest Living’ is another intense song made up of frantic guitars, exasperated
vocals and wiry bass. The juddery footage of Chicago making up the video matches
the mood perfectly.
‘Chin Up’ – goldenbloom
‘Chin Up’ is a middle finger to toxic masculinity – a song encouraging
men to open up about their problems and let out their emotions. It reminds me a
bit of Idles’ ‘Samaritans’ in its message and features some equally fantastic
heavy-hitting lines: ‘you’ve got 99 problems and you told no-one’. It’s
also got some satisfyingly fierce drums and guitars. The London post-punk scene is truly
thriving right now.
‘Turn it Off’ – Quiet Man ft. Sid Stone
Quiet Man and Sid Stone are two UK singer/producers who are
also both brothers. You can definitely hear the chemistry – the falsettos
during the chorus and lower-register vocals during the verse complement each
other really well. However, it’s the groovy creative beat with its punchy
clap/snare and splashes of sax that really makes this track stand out.
‘Retrospect’ – Kalopsia
This dreamy electro-pop single is the work of Brisbane
artist Kalopsia. The woozy synth-funk production and breathy delicate vocals make
for a really hypnotic combo. It sounds like something you’d hear blaring out of
an alien disco.
THE WORST:
‘iPad’ – The Chainsmokers
How do they do it? How do they manage to create such
impressively bland EDM songs?