Into it. Over it. – “The Shaking of Leaves”

The first minute or so of this song is pretty underwhelming, with a two-note synthesizer backing, and a simple guitar piece. But as the song goes on, different elements are added to its instrumental identity. A little piano piece is occasionally heard, the complex drum beat really picks up the spirit of the song and the lead singer begins to sing with much more energy. This song really lulls the listener into laxness, and then shocks him or her back out of it by constantly adding more details to the song.

The Neighbourhood (feat. Casey Veggies & 100s) – Jealou$y

This grimy, industrial hip hop/jazz amalgamation surprisingly comes from The Neighbourhood, a group most well known for their indie pop hit “Sweater Weather.” I actually had no idea that the Neighbourhood was a hip-hop affiliated group. That is, until they released their new mixtape #000000 & #ffffff, which included features from the likes of rappers YG, Danny Brown and French Montana.

The song starts off with a rhythmic, deep, industrial beeping. A very interesting sounding opening, not a style of sound normally heard in hip-hop. The song continually transitions back and forth from this harsh industrial beat rapped over by Casey Veggies, to a smooth saxophone piece accompanied by the melodic singing of 100s.

Coming in with a distinct sound, and plenty of quality featured artists, The Neighbourhood could soon be a force in the indie hip hop scene.

Toh Kay – “A Better Place, A Better Time”

Some songs are very technically simple, not having many instruments or variation in sound throughout the song. While these songs are not the most technically impressive, they get their message across to the singer very well. Listening to “A Better Place, A Better Time” is instantly soothing and relaxing. The minimalistic approach to songs doesn’t always work, but Toh Kay has pulled this off very well with “A Better Place, A Better Time.”

Some more tracks to check out this week:

Speak – “Gates”

Nicky – “Wake Up”

Saint Motel – “Midnight Movies”

These United States – “Dead & Gone”