ListenUp
A nine-minute love song from City and Colour, Gwilym Gold soundtracks ambiguous cartoon sex and more in this week’s picks
Thundercat: Them Changes
From Thundercat’s mini-album The Beyond / Where the Giants Roam (his first solo album since 2013’s Apocalypse, though he’s kept busy working on Kendrick Lamar’s last release and more) comes “Them Changes“—a track that blends an effortless groove with melancholy. While the story told through vocals is one of heartbreak, the squelching electric bass line and dark music video (which features a samurai battle inside a garage) offer delightful and fascinating contrasts.
Gwilym Gold: Flex
In this simple yet spellbinding 3D-rendered video (directed by visual artist and regular collaborator Eddie Peake) for Gwilym Gold’s track “Flex,” two characters have an intimate encounter that many are familiar with. But the ambiguity, paired with affection, offers a different, almost uneasy perspective. Inhabiting this seemingly empty fictitious space, Gwilym Gold builds, layer by forlorn layer, harmonies and synths and percussive hits into a climax that never quite resolves, just echoes back.
City and Colour: Woman
Canada’s Dallas Green, the former Alexisonfire band member who now records under the moniker City and Colour, has released the lead single off of his upcoming album, If I Should Go Before You. “Woman” is a nine-minute love song set to dark, brooding rock—a departure from Green’s previous folk songwriting—that is as heartfelt as it is incredibly sexy, thanks to his pining falsetto.
Gemma: As Ever
Gemma—aka producer Erik Gundel and vocalist Felicia Douglass (best known as a member of Ava Luna)—has released a track called “As Ever,” from the duo’s upcoming debut LP of the same name. It’s a cruise-y, summery R&B-meets-electro-pop tune—with Douglass’ roving vocals appearing effortless, but beautifully on point throughout.
Jaala: Hard Hold
If you’re craving more of the future soul goodness that is Hiatus Kaiyote, then Jaala—another jamming foursome from Melbourne, three of whom are women—will appease some of the appetite. Their single “Hard Hold” (from their upcoming debut LP of the same name), produced by Hiatus Kaiyote bassist Paul Bender, highlights their musicality while preserving an intimate vibe of grungy, bedroom punk.
ListenUp is a Cool Hunting series published every Sunday that takes a deeper look at the music we tweeted throughout the week. Often we’ll include a musician or notable fan’s personal favorite in a song or album dubbed #PrivateJam.
