1. Where Would You Be by Yaw
Where Would You Be plays through like silk, and almost entirely thanks to Yaw’s bluesy vocals: he sings each line with such a natural rhythm, as if rehearsing a conversation. Beyond the sass of the lyrics, I also love the added contour of the music bits --- like the way the brass murmurs intermittently throughout the song, as if agreeing with everything Yaw is saying.
It was sampled in Mounika.’s I Feel Love, which adds an uppity funk to its groove but loses the depth of Yaw’s vocals. For full effect, I’d stick to the original.
2. Brazilian Soul (Acoustic Bossa Version) by The Knocks, Sofi Tukker
Number two this week is far from what you’d expect of Sofi Tukker or The Knocks. Typically known for their House and EDM, the pair of duos stayed true to those styles with their original Brazilian Soul collaboration --- and if looking for a dance, I’d direct you there.
But the acoustic Bossa version that they released a few months later gives the song a new grounding. When stripped-down to the bare essentials, it takes on its identity as an airy love song for Brazil – exactly what it was written to be.
Sofi Tukker’s lead vocalist Sophie Hawley-Weld is not herself Brazilian but has long felt a strong connection to the country, strengthened by her time living in there and engaging with Brazil's language and culture. Since the onset of the duo’s music career, they’ve collaborated with a multitude of Brazilian poets to craft their lyrics – a conscious effort to remain respectful of the culture they pay tribute to.
With Brazilian Soul, Weld sings in both Portuguese and English as the song brings a few notable elements of Brazilian culture to the spotlight – from singing about forró to incorporating the Brazilian cuíca drum to “stay true to the region’s sound.”
Whether or not you’ve been to Brazil, this song will make you miss it.
3. After All by Charlotte Day Wilson
Charlotte Day Wilson holds a lot of titles – singer, guitarist, bassist, saxophonist, songwriter, music engineer and producer – and she employed all of them for After All, her 2016 debut single.
With an infectious electronic beat and jazzy backing, she’s explained that the song is about “trying to gain perspective and letting yourself succumb to your vices." The verses find her singing about the need to cocoon oneself sometimes (“Oh I just need a little rest before this gets harder”) but also about the “therapeutic effect” of just getting out and re-socializing.
But it probably won't be the lyrics that keep you coming back. Credit for that goes to Wilson's sensual voice and the song's hypnotic pulse.
4. Only Love by Mumford & Sons
Mumford & Sons are masters of slowly building the tension of a song towards a grand release. Their huge suite of examples includes tracks like Awake My Soul, There Will Be Time, Delta, Ghosts That We Knew – the list goes on – but for this week I’m focusing on another favourite.
Only Love comes off of their 2015 album Wilder Mind, which replaced their characteristically folk style with a darker electronic sound. It wasn't everyone's piece of cake but I certainly loved it, and Only Love is a great blend of the two styles: staying true to folk with the vocal harmonies but showcasing their heavier side in the final crescendo (which hits like a jolt to the system).
The beauty of so many Mumford songs like this is the broad universality of the lyrics: Only Love could be about faith in God (a popular interpretation considering others on the album like Believe) or any story of a hand extended during dire days.
Listen on Spotify to all 'Songs of the Week' here.
Comments