By Jack
A$AP Rocky – A$AP Forever ft. Moby
Whereas Moby’s ‘Porcelain’ spoke to the cruel beauty of time and the regrets that can haunt someone their whole life, this re-do near 20 years later is surface level. While Nas was able to cop Sting’s ‘Shape of Your Heart’, Rocky’s reinterpretation is essentially meaningless. Even he senses this – since near the 3 minute mark the original arrangement replaces his ministrations. ‘A$AP Forever’ is just a pretty hook – and a borrowed one at that.
Eminem – Framed
We get the Slim Shady we deserve. Much better than his recent spate of moribund, flavourless navel gazing . Beat is solid whilst the flow ranges from lackadaisical to demented. Very very weird – but that is what Eminem is good at. Fun video too.
Calvin Harris, Dua Lipa – One Kiss
With both coming off a high, they retain their good form here. The pre-chorus is clumsily truncated to fit the rhyme (“Lit up heaven in me-e-e“) but there’s a refreshing ’90s vibe to this. The relaxed beat and wacky synth riffs are ripped straight from an Amnesia DJ Set circa 1993. Not a banger – but very easy on the ear.
whenyoung – The Collector
Starting off with deathly creep a lá Daughter’s ‘Youth’ – whenyoung’s new track shifts into carefully plucked indie. Not a song to dance to, nor a weeper, ‘The Collector’ calls for a more nuanced response. A static beat keeps the pace rooted even while the guitars surge in weirdly shifted solos. Yet the lack of blatant emotion suggests a deeper heartbreak underneath.
Friendly Fires – Love Like Waves
And like that, the weekend is saved. Friendly Fires remind us how gifted they are with clipped, hooky pop phrasing – short, sharp, sweet. Stick around a while, will you?
Hey Nineteen 