The animations in the video accompanying this track marked the first thing to really appear as quite fresh and enjoyably unexpected. The leading character featured has a swagger and coolness that comes through in a slightly nostalgic way – not unlike certain cartoon characters from our youth did. It’s the first in a fair few elements that surprise and satisfy.
The track that unfolds has a certain simplicity to it, musically speaking, the beat has a spacious and stop-start nature, so on top of this you really need a captivating and unusual leading vocal or something – a hook, a melody, a chorus – that fills in all the gaps. The artist’s rap vocal undoubtedly plays that roll with confidence and a strong sense of identity. The more you get into it, certain elements of the flow and the lyricism really stand out. There’s a lot to appreciate about the ideas and the way in which they are presented here, the creative freshness is undeniable, and from a hip-hop perspective the raw energy and skill is absolutely present.
The simplicity of the music on this piece actually makes for a really memorable characteristic. The electronic strings, the space, the structure, the contrast between the mellow musicality and the changing – often intense- pace of the rap vocal is powerful. You hang on the words and the stories as they lead you hypnotically towards the hook section. The hook is the next point at which you appreciate the originality.
The minimalism again showcases the subtle use of melody here and lays bare the central idea or sentiment of the song. It’s a fairly poetic vision, the magic of it, underlined both literally within the lyrics and more artistically in the intermittent appearance and disappearance of certain ingredients. A refreshingly interesting and enjoyable release.
By Rebecca Cullen
Rebecca is a Musician and writer from Manchester, UK, with an MA in Song Writing
