Welcome all to ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ป๐ผ๐น๐น๐โ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ, a series of weekly reviews by Charles Connolly - an artist in his own right. Here, Charles delves into the greatest brand new singles brought to you by the best unsigned artists on our electrifying and eclectic set of ๐๐๐ฌ ๐ผ๐ง๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ฅ๐ค๐ฉ๐ก๐๐๐๐ฉ playlists.
๐ฝ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐จ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ - ๐๐ข๐ค๐ค๐ฉ๐๐จ๐๐ฎ๐ก๐๐ฃ, ๐๐ก๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐๐ก๐ค๐๐ฎ, ๐๐ค๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐จ๐จ
Charles struggles to drive home the pointโฆ
Getting around town is something that we do because we have to. Less so these days for obvious reasons, but inevitably weโll get back into the swing of movement. If we can remember how it goes. Almost my complete and utter life at the moment is conducted at home. I barely leave the house. Everything I need is here, and I have no major reasons to really go anywhere. At the moment. I must stress this lack of motion being temporary because I have very much not always been like this. I used to have a normal job and have to go there daily. Like normal people. But things are different now. I sit, and sit some more. Not exactly healthy, I grant you. But it has its benefits. Call it bittersweet.
Take for example NOT having to travel to work. What a load of wasted time. What a hassle having to get up early to allow time for travel. Spitting, hateful, ugly, bleary-eyed travel. I used to take the bus to work. Come rain, come shine, I would walk that same route to the bus stop, knowing every crack in each paving stone. I was always more aware of them if it happened to be raining, because - being a small man - the umbrella would naturally shield any possible view in front of me, and certainly above me. Itโs London. It rains almost as much as people say it does (despite the glorious sunshine of the past week). Another reason I look downwards, is to avoid any puddles, for I have never once managed to find a pair of shoes or boots that is even remotely waterproof. Sometimes in my dawny fug, I would walk in time to the beat of the music playing through my wonderfully immersive little earphones, and the puddle-skipping would only add to the complicated task of walking in a relatively straight line. It becomes the most intricate jazzy triplet cross-rhythm. This seemed to keep me amused for that brief 7 minute walk to the bus stop anyway. I was wet, but I was pretty content. I could feel no guilt. I was not wasting time. I could not teleport to work. This was necessary. But I hated that walk. I hated the routine. The monotony. The knowing of what was at the other end. The same people, the same feel, the same smell, and the same job that I detested. It was not for me, but I did it, nevertheless. I also loved that journey, because it was my own time, and the only real chance I had of listening to music. Call it bittersweet.
Many people drive to work. Many people DRIVE! I do not. In America, I gather not driving is like not having legs. I have never even tried to drive, and I frankly donโt wish to. For me, it is one luxury too far. A 5-person car, containing only little me. And all the while, the fumes pouring out of my rear end. Ahem, the vehicleโs rear end. But look at the freedom of it! I can speed down the road at my own pace, and not have to worry about stopping every couple of minutes to โlet people onโ. No oneโs getting into MY car!! But no. Itโs not all smooth sailing. Alas, I would not be the only driver on the road. So, in fact I would be in total comfort, with my delicious speakers either side of me, an extremely comfortable seat beneath me, air conditioning at my chosen temperature surrounding me, and all the while utterly motionless. Makes me sick. Speaking of which, there is another reason I donโt drive. Ever since I was a young boy, I have been unable to keep my means of sustenance inside me while in a moving car. To be honest, it doesnโt even have to be moving. The smell is enough to make me feel unwell. Although I believe I have since grown out of this unfortunate affliction, I still have such strong memories of paper bags and uncomfortable mothers putting on a brave face - โShall we pull over? Charles, would you like me to pull in here?โ - that I am pretty much put off the idea of driving, for life. We rather unimaginatively call this, motion sickness. If I EVER find that I actually have to go anywhere, I will take my reliably unreliable bus, and continue to hum my melodies in the rain. Call it bittersweet.
Speaking of melodies, motion sickness, and all things smooth sailing - or not - I have recently stumbled upon a sweet something that is thankfully altogether lacking in bitterness. A collaboration in song that involves Smoothsaylin, Elion Melody and Motion Sickness. Three of the best from the New Artist Spotlight, and rather amazingly only one I have reviewed before. Elion Melody was the very first lucky artist in my Corner, when I was still finding my feet. In fact, at the time I had no feet to find! Elion has one of those voices that you canโt mistake for anyone else. A signature sound. Something I personally have yet to master. He is Mr. Smooth. A voice so refined in its simplistic softness and perfection. If one could sculpt a statue made of purple silk, only Elion could. Smoothsaylin I think is one of the most underrated singers in the NAS. She is truly one of the best. Where Elion lulls you into a TRUE sense of security, Smoothsaylin passionately tugs at your ear and continues the smoothitude in a different way. I suppose where Elion is the sweetness, Smoothsaylin is the bitter. The bite to the honey.
And then thereโs the man behind the desk. A songโs producer is often lost to fame, but in this case (certainly in the eyes of Spotify), Motion Sickness is arguably the most successful artist on the New Artist Spotlight. And understandably so! I am almost embarrassed that I havenโt reviewed him before. He is not only consistently solid and high-grade with his tunes, but also prolific with his releases. MoSick (as many of us call him) is another with a signature sound that he has honed over the past year or two, with impeccable skills of production and mixing within the mainstream electronic pop genre. Itโs his subtlety in production choices that do it for me. Everything is there for a reason, with nothing surplus.
These three tremendous talents got together to make a brand new song. And it is flawless. I purposely havenโt gone into any detail at all, because there is no point in doing so. Best to just open your ears - as if you could ever shut them - and liberally pour in the vibes.
Call it Bittersweet.
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