Top 10 Track Picks of March '20
Roshaun here! This week marks a special event for me: my first Top 10! I hope to continue this trend, making a few top 10s of different types, this one being specific to the new music that I’ve listened to over the past week or so. So grab your phone/CD player, open up your music streaming platform of choice, and listen to a few songs you might not have heard before as you follow along! All of these songs will be available on Google Play Music or Spotify, unless otherwise noted.
Starting us off at #10, “Breathe” by Easy Anthonyyy is one of those rap gems that you would find on a deep dive in YouTube, chill beats and vibes to study to, but also, some lyricism that’s also fairly existential, looking into the struggles of survival, being yourself, and the grind. I related to some of the phrases spit by this Anthonyyy, "government so cold like Toronto in January", or "Can I breath? Either NYPD or the Covid-19" It’s really chill beat, reminds me in a way of "Mark" by Shahmen, or some of Tyler, the Creator/Earl Sweatshirt's more relaxed beats. Again, another debut single, and I find myself itching to hear more tracks from this upcoming artist. It’s only on SoundCloud as it stands, but I’m hoping it finds it’s way to a bigger streaming platform soon!
Up next at #9, we have Gorillaz’s “Désolé”, from Song Machine Edisode 2. The band has collaborated with Malian actress and singer, Fatoumata Diawara. It features lyrics mostly in French, being the official language of Mali. The track title is translated to “Sorry”, in English. This track, though upbeat, shows feelings of hopelessness, it’s distraught, feelings of being lost. There’s implied themes of suicide, and extreme sadness, although, what they are apologizing for is pretty ambiguous. There is desparation in holding onto what we can assume is a loved one. The song’s instrumental is really emotional, swelling, and features some impressive trumpet use, some type of strings, and some really energetic drums. Honestly, after Humanz, I’m glad that Gorillaz is returning to something that sounds a little like some of their older material, but evolved, still delivering with some tasty tracks.
#8 features “BULLDOG” by LAUNDRY DAY from their EP LIGHT UP SHOES 2, released in 2019, a song about unrequieted love written by Jude Lipkin. It’s a song with complex emotion, backtracked with an somewhat uplifting tone, punchy drums, and a constant synth beat, but also screechy guitar tones at times, showing conflict, external and perhaps internal. It builds up in speed and intensity over the course of the song, cutting off abruptly at the end, leaving both the song unresolved, and the feelings that Jude holds. The song reminds me of an artistic mix of Joji, Twenty One Pilots, and BROCKHAMPTON, a lovechild crafted with the backtracking, and lyrical content. Overall, very enjoyable track, with good replayability.
Following up some of the themes of “BULLDOG” (and following it up as #7), “I Been (feat. Crush)”, the refreshing single by Berhana, which also makes an appearance on the subsequent (and well crafted) album, HAN, both released in 2019, also speaks of love, in this case, not pre-relationship, but post-relationship feelings of longing and attachment. The story it weaves implies that the singer may have messed up in the past, but is working on himself, pleasing and hoping that his disinterested love will notice. The song has a somber energy, but with groove, a good poly relationship between R&B, Pop, and Funk. This song definitely is a jammer, a good song to be listening to while driving with the windows down in the summer and through breakup season in Alaska, when it’s just starting to get sunnier and warmer. It’s even good if you’re not in Alaska!
Switching over to a new theme for #6, an overcast tone of bitterness and despair, MGMT’s “When You Die” is a single released for the album Little Dark Age, which came out in 2017. The protagonist of this song insists he is, in fact, not very nice at all, and seems pretty resigned and tired of his current state of affairs. Themes of death some out later in the song, cued by the lyric “Baby, I'm ready, I'm ready, ready, ready to blow my brains out”. He also is addressing somebody in the song, which brings in the bitterness, coldness and dismissive attitude he takes regarding the person he is talking to. The song’s application in our current state of affairs can make it relatable, at times, and we all know somebody who we aren’t very fond of. The layering of the track and the lower notes of the track overall keeps a very mysterious, sinister mood, and adds to the emotion exhibited by the speaker. Maybe use this as a passive aggresive share, haha.
Noisy. Echoing. Energetic. Playful, and I love it. That’s how I’d describe #5 on this list, coming in the form of Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever’s beautifully crafted “Wide Eyes”, off the album Talk Tight. We’re talking Indie Rock meets Punk, it’s like the lovechild of the intrumentals from Radiohead’s Pablo Honey (like “Stop Whispering”) and Car Seat Headrest’s vocals (like later parts of “My Boy (Twin Fantasy)”). The lo-fi aesthetic of these tracks are particularly pleasing. The main theme I draw from this track is reunited love, “Been driving through the country just to see those wide eyes”. There’s more to draw from this whole album, I’ve found myself returning time and time again to just zen out and listen to the whole thing through. Definitely my favorite track from it, but let me know what you think!
“Pinky Swear”! Swear on what, you ask? Well, I “Pinky Swear” that this track may be one of the best indie rock songs I’ve heard in a long time, taking the mantle at #4. Written by multi-instrumentalist Ryan Lee, for his band Magic Waters, “Pinky Swear” is a self-conscious look into society. Released on March 2nd, 2020, in the middle of a pandemic, this EP completely blindsided me with it’s “in your face” and hyped up, lighthearted backtrack. “2020 sh*t’s gonna change, boy were we wrong, it’s money money, you gotta pay your politicians.” It takes a critical look of modern American government, the education system (and school shootings), and the dreams of the young and growing youth, who become disenfranchised by the system and state of affairs. It, as well, is a beacon of hope for that generation, claiming that “we need them”, and it could never be more true. The drums kick and fight, the guitars provide good melody, painting a beautiful backdrop for the lyricism and hope that Lee means to convey. It doesn’t disappoint, and I hope to see more music out of this writer.
If you missed my EP review of Second by Liss, here’s a summary of it in a few words: “Groovy, Hard-Hitting, Masterful”. The song “Vibrations” encompasses the entire spirit of the album in it’s short 3 minute, 35 second runtime. I’ve say it once, and I’ll say it a million times over: This song just makes me want to be movin’ and groovin’ like no other.
This video sums up my experience quite well, honestly, and the song makes a great #3.
Here’s a debut single from Australian band Dolly Zoom, called “Easy For You”. Hailing from Brisbane, the inspirations of this band come from varying sources, but includes bands like Tame Impala, Daft Punk, and M83. Because their music taste is diverse, it’s hard for me to place exactly who they remind me of. It’s almost like a whole mix of Stuck in the Sound, Tame Impala, MGMT (mentioned on this very Top 10!), and more. Their unique sound is amazing, and their almost expert level layering on this track really shows their talent and potential. Their currently working on their EP, which I’m keeping a look out for. It’s deep, spaced out but hard hitting at the same time, existential, and complex. The mesmerizing vocals combined with the beautiful cover art brings me to a new world. Definitely psychedelic, bringing me back to some trips I’ve experienced. I highly recommend this track! To the band, I’d say it was “Easy For You” to get #2!
Men I Trust sits at #1 on the list this time around, scoring placement by virtue of “Tailwhip”, one of the tracks off of their melodic album, Oncle Jazz, which came out in time to wrap up summer. The track in question, “Tailwhip”, caught my attention when listening, really got my feet moving, and blew me away with it’s enchanting intrumentals and hypnotic vocals. Like, seriously, this track is one of the best tracks that came out of 2019, in my opinion. It triggers some sense of nostalgia, while also being a really nice cruising song. It’s light and airy, floating on the edge of good times had in the summer, and the slow and cozy vibes that come with staying indoors in the wintertime, maybe wrapped up in a blanket with some warm, hearty soup. Stick around throughout the whole album, and get rewarded with “Tailwhip Revisited”, an expansion of the instrumental without the vocals, which would have been placed here instead of “Tailwhip”, had it not been for the lyrical accompaniment. Keep your eyes peeled for more from Men I Trust, they will only get better with time.
And that does it for this Top 10. Stay tuned, as more reviews and top 10s get put out frequently!
Thanks for sticking around, and I hope you found a new song you like.
Keep safe and healthy out there!