Best New Song: Beck - Wow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZlbahhoEIo

Beck Hansen doesn’t like to settle in comfortable territories with his music. The artist has changed his style endlessly, a rarely successful habit. Beck is a man of his times, from starting off writing grungey, hip hop influenced albums such as Mellowgold (1994) and Odelay (1996), to crafting utterly emotionally exposed masterpieces like Sea Change (2002), the range is endless. Now, after releasing teasers on Instagram, he releases a contemporary single called ‘Wow’. The song represents a change of style in the same fashion as the funky single ‘Dreams’, released in 2015.

‘Wow’ shows an almost satirical version of modern chart music, yet it also shows intelligence and depth within it. Glimmering synths dreamily coincide with the trap snares that prove Beck is taking snippets from contemporary sounds. Beck has ventured back to his early hip hop influences, this will be liked by many fans as it was where he started, meaning nostalgia runs through the veins of this track. Lyrically, he is as spontaneous and refreshing as on his early singles, such as Beercan (1994), and his vocals casually switch from expressive bars to harmonious falsettos.  For some fans the newer aspects of this song may be hard to adapt to; but that’s the beauty of this artist, he has no fear of a new path with his sound. 'Wow' shows a step forward that Beck has taken alongside the modern world, but he hasn't let go of his former self. 

  (Credit: Single Artwork)

Best New Song: Gold Panda - Chiba Nights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJ9VCM4RUac

Gold Panda is back with new material, it is a gift to us from his artistic journey to Japan with fellow photographer Laura Lewis. His album is entitled, Good Luck And Do Your Best, a heartwarming quote by a Japanese taxi driver that he met. Maybe this was the inspiration for the oriental exuberance of his new album, or maybe it was just a memorable act of synergy with a stranger.

The third track on the record is entitled Chiba Nights and it adds a shimmering atmosphere to the roots of the album. The song feels almost nostalgic for the listener; we are planted in a memory of his travels, a sort of souvenir of sound. The Japanese strings combine with the on going house chords to create a juxtaposition of cultures which both share the same radiant hopefulness. To benefit the listening experience, a video for the track has just been released. The video is shown through sixteen squares giving us a glowing exhibition of his travels. The video and the song combined create a sensory gift for his fans. Chiba Nights shows the artist is currently creating a different sound to many electronic acts out there, the song blends together with the rest of the album immaculately, as a particular musical identity has been crafted at full length.

   (Credit: Album Artwork)