Now That’s What I Call Hope Fest (Vol. 1)
A musical preview of tracks we love from Hope Fest 2023 artists.
Boston’s Rilla Force pens an uptempo RNBDM track about being tired. Reverse psychology. His lyrics stretch across the beats like a lazy cat on a windowsill. His vocals wear a thousand masks, ducking and weaving through the verses with a kind of Aphex Twin’s “Come To Daddy” dexterity. There’s a background narrative that drops here and there about the wear, tear, and exhaustion of everyday life. The rent, the job, the thousand and one daily commitments. The lethargy that permeates your being so deep you barely have the energy to call it out. But don’t worry about all that. Just know this: the guy is motherfucking tired.
Pink Navel
Pink Navel! Rapper, beat stylist, progenitor of KNOBS, and Beedle aficionado brings you “Tiguan” from the full-length EPIC. Our highlighted track boasts a classy and spacious interior, and is comfortable and easy to drive. Sounds like there’s a new album on the horizon. Until then maybe you’ll hear some new tracks previewed at Hope Fest.
Daphne Blue Underworld
Major Cure energy. Daphne Blue Underworld can field a more stripped-down sound, but the outfit goes full battlemode with this jangly alt pop jammer “Waiting Around.” Shades of John Hughes. Shades of waiting by your locker with braces. Extra points for a stunning video of flowers doing weird things via time lapse photography.
Zaafir
Malden’s Zaafir is a hip hop artist who serves up his own RnB chorus between verses. Two for the price of one! In our highlighted song “Choice” the artist speaks to a subject in distress, offering a litany of sage words of encouragement. Is it the start to a come-on or just big brother advice? Zaafir keeps you guessing while a hypnotic beat ices over the need to decide one way or the other. It’s either a brilliant or lunatic decision to start the track with a sample of the universally recognizable iPhone ring. No matter who’s calling, it’s for you.
Randi Woodelle
Straight outta Lynn! It’s a drum machine world, and Randi Woodelle is a “Boner” girl. Space station rhythms carry Woodelle’s RnB swoon along the outer edge of Saturn’s ring. Shades of Dido. Shades of Kylie Minogue when things get clubby. Extra points for a strong visual aesthetic.
Only Child
Cool synth beats walk you into a medium tempo introspective jammer. Shades of Hippo Campus. There’s something vaguely tropical about the rhythm on the title track of Only Child’s EP SRS ONE. (It’s pronounced ‘serious one.’ No one knows why!) If this track was playing poolside and someone handed you a frozen daiquiri, who would say no?
