Anna Lysis & F. Sonore – Smashed Sweetness
Isn’t it nice that we’ve gotten away from that 90s and 2000s thing where anyone singing in English would put on an American accent? Part of what makes the vocals so nice in this track by French artists Anna Lysis & F. Sonore is how much Lysis’s French accent comes through in her delivery — and not in the ironic or too-cool-for-school way often heard in mid-naughties French electro. Lysis’s lyrics and delivery are earnest — naive almost — sailing, self-assured, and natural. Atop propulsive drums and loosely layered plucked instruments coproduced with F. Sonore, the whole song has this great unencumbered quality to it; the two aren’t concerned with precision and perfection here– it’s just about wide-eyed fun. This is from Lysis’s recent EP, Blossom, which is out now on the streamers. No bandcamp, unfortunately, but she was kind enough to let me post the mp3 for you here.
Anna Lysis & F. Sonore – “Smashed Sweetness”
Syncia x Cash Only x Eljé – Something Something
Next up is a collaboration between producers Syncia and Cash Only, with vocals from Eljé — all three from the UK. There really isn’t much I can say about this–it’s perfectly crafted main room dance music. It’s house music, I guess, in the way that smoothing out all the edges of UKG turns it back into the house music it was always rooted in, but this is a track where subgenre discussion is really pointless. Eljé’s vocals are as radio-ready as anything and a killer earworm; the bass is round enough at the top and bottom to work just as well in the cab on the way to the club as it will on the dancefloor. Just an undeniable winner here. No bandcamp unfortunately, but you can find this for streaming at all the usual outlets.
Syncia x Cash Only x Eljé – “Something Something”
Self Tape – Feelings In The Way
Last up tonight is a lovely track from Sydney-based Self Tape (Stuart McNair), whose music I covered a couple of years ago. This is the first single from his upcoming sophomore album. I said something similar last time I wrote about him, but in a rising sea of so-called emotional club producers, McNair manages to float to the surface. It’s not just that the music is well executed — these days so much mediocre music is actually really well produced — it’s that McNair has a knack for drawing out real character from otherwise pretty in-your-face sounds. Specifically, the bass and lead sounds here are not particularly gentle or warm in and of themselves, but he gets them to hum and purr in a way that really soothes the nerves– and without numbing them out with syrup. It’s an excellent trick, and he’s been able to repeat it, so I expect the album will be something special. No bandcamp for this one either, I’m afraid (that’s 0 for 3 tonight), but McNair was generous enough to let me post the mp3 below. You can find the release at all the usual spots here.
Self Tape – “Feelings In The Way”