BEST CHILL MUSIC - WEEK 22

The calendar shows that it's almost June 1st, which can only mean one thing: Summer is almost upon us, y'all! Three months straight of road trips, pool parties, and barbecues on beaches with friends? Erm, YES PLEASE! Of course, no summer is complete without music, which is where We Are: The Guard comes in. As the temperatures start to rise around us, then, why not join us in switching up your winter warmers for summer vibes with today's edition of Best Chill Music, which this week features songs from Leon Else, Trentemøller, Sufjan Stevens, and plenty of others?

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AURORA – THE RIVER (ASKJELL REMIX)

Bergen chanteuse AURORA follows up the release of her anthemic ode to catharsis “The River” with this remix courtesy of Askjell. Listen as Askjell strips away much of the bombast and replaces it instead with a more beat-driven production on the emotive take on the A Different Kind of Human (Step 2) cut, which we're pleased to say also positions AURORA's trilling vocals front and center <3.

BOUNDARY RUN – MARIGOLDS

Every once in a while, a song comes along that makes us feel nostalgic for a more simpler time. “Marigolds” by Boundary Run is one such song. With vocals being carried like an early summer breeze over a warm folk blend of strings and guitar, “Marigolds” is an evocative listen that's taking us to a far better place. FFO: Bon Iver, Iron & Wine.

SONN (FEAT. EYUKALIPTUS) – LONELY

“My phone lit up from across the room/My first thought was 'I really hope it's you'/But it was just from Twitter/And now I'm feeling bitter.” And so begins “Lonely,” the longing latest single from Sonn. If you've ever wasted away a whole day waiting for a text message from a crush that's never going to come, then you're sure to relate to this lo-fi lullaby, which hears the London producer wrapping the achingly soulful vocals of feature artist EYUKALIPTUS in a blanket of vinyl crackle.

LEON ELSE – BEAUTIFUL WORLD

Coinciding with Mental Health Awareness Month, Los Angeles crooner Leon Else has shared the deeply personal “Beautiful World.” The gut-wrenching piano ballad was inspired by the 29-year-old's ongoing battle with bipolar disorder, with the song coming accompanied by a video that, through the use of vlogs and home movies, gives an incredibly brave insight into Leon's day-to-day struggle with mental illness.

SVIBES – QUICKSAND

SVIBES detail the final moments of a relationship in agonizing detail on their hypnotic latest single “Quicksand.” “Our love is quicksand/Let it sink in,” croons Sanders Bohlke over smoothly captivating R&B textures on the cut, which captures those excruciating last few days of a love affair when the only thing left to salvage is the couple's respective sanities.

DOUNIA – UP 4 AIR

Queens artist Dounia is bringing an air of summertime cool to her laid-back latest single. “Bae, I know that you're quite the star/Expensive new lifestyle/Let me make it worth your while/I like drop-top drives to beaches/And boys impressing me/So you're just my type,” begins “UP 4 AIR,” an easy-going piece of R&B attitude that's best listened to with the windows rolled down and sea breeze in your hair.

TRENTEMØLLER – SLEEPER

“Sleeper” by Danish beatmaker Trentemøller is what we imagine the world would sound like if we could hit the “slow motion” button on life. Opening with a swirl of muted ambient electronics before gradually growing in size and scope, “Sleeper” is just the sort of cut that we like to turn to when we feel overwhelmed by the chaos and fast pace of modern-day living (which is pretty much every day, TBH).

MYLES CAMERON – LONELY SUBURBIA

Introducing Myles Cameron, the Rye native who's making his debut on We Are: The Guard with “Lonely Suburbia.” Featured on his recent EP Lonely Suburban Blackboy, the cut very much focuses on the monotony that comes with growing up in the American suburbs and the tendency to retreat into the imagination, with the song acting as a showcase for the 21-year-old's resounding vocals and dreamlike R&B production.

RKCB – KNOW LOVE (OTR REMIX)

Atlanta producer OTR is bringing a dose of late-night dance vibes to this remix of RKCB's “Know Love.” Opening to the sound of rainfall before giving way to a blend of deep-house piano chords and handclaps, this remix most definitely has a “club classic” quality about it, with the four-on-the-floor beat only adding to this sense of nostalgia. “We love the brooding energy OTR captured from the original but expanded on with their sounds and atmosphere,” write RKCB. “It's dark and blurry and makes us want to go for a drive.”

SUFJAN STEVENS – LOVE YOURSELF

Just in time for the start of Pride Month, Sufjan Stevens returns with “Love Yourself.” Originally written by the indie icon in 1996, it's a delicately comforting synth-pop ballad that hears Sufjan repeating the line “Love, can you love yourself,” with a portion of the proceeds from the song going toward Ali Forney Center in New York City and Ruth Ellis Center in Detroit, two organizations that support LGBTQ+ and homeless children in America.

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Photo by Dane Deaner on Unsplash

Jess Grant is a frustrated writer hailing from London, England. When she isn't tasked with disentangling her thoughts from her brain and putting them on paper, Jess can generally be found listening to The Beatles, or cooking vegetarian food.