THE 10 BEST CHILL SONGS IN THE WORLD THIS WEEK

by Jess Grant

8/6/21

Sorry to begin this week's column on a downer, but unless it's something to do with me being offered extra legroom and free alcohol on a flight, I never want to hear the words "Delta Plus" again! Anyways! Now I've got that out of my system, it's time for the latest dose of We Are: The Guard's Best Chill Songs! It's a bumper edition this Friday, so with the countdown to the weekend officially on, let's check out the following selection of chill vibes from Duskus, 53 Thieves, cln, and more!

DUSKUS – HARD TIMES

British producer Duskus is reminding us of the importance of finding the light in the darkness on "Hard Times." Coming to us via bitbird – the record label founded by Dutchman San Holo – "Hard Times" is the dynamically uplifting boost we all need as we gradually emerge from lockdown. "My vision for this song is to bring people together after the hardship of the last year," says Duskus of the cut, which feels like the aural equivalent of a friend putting their arms around you and whispering "It'll be okay." FFO: Chet Porter, Fred again..

53 THIEVES – HEIGHTS

They got summer off to a lush, dappling start in June with "waterfront," and this August, 53 Thieves is rounding off the sunny season in style with "heights." Clocking in at just under four minutes, "heights" is another soulful masterpiece from Jess Mollie, Conor Jordan, Ronin, and Pryces about a last-ditch effort to save a dying relationship. "Careful when you're falling from great heights/I can't catch us solo when you're moving out of sight," ache Mollie and Jordan on the cut, with Ronin and Pryces surrounding their voices like a sultry heat mirage.

CLN – REVELRY

It's no secret Australia's cln is a masterful producer, but Callan Alexander is returning the focus to the songwriting at the emotive core of his music on "REVELRY." According to Alexander, this shift in approach was inspired in part by the Damon Albarn quote: "A song should be strong enough to survive whatever you do to it." "That really stuck with me, and it made me realize that I should spend more time concentrating on the 'bones' of the song," says cln, with the final result making a beautifully moving ballad consisting of a series of poetic vignettes.

THE GOLF CLUB – DIRT

Every once in a while, We Are: The Guard stumbles upon what feels like the music industry's best-kept secret. Case in point: The Golf Club. Despite having only two songs to their name – not to mention little to no social media presence – we're willing to bet The Golf Club is going to be the next big thing on TikTok with their brand new single "Dirt." Chill, with just enough groove to leave you infected for the rest of the day, The Golf Club is coming to For You Pages everywhere with this song and June's equally addicting "Soda Stain."

TSU NAMI – EASY TO LOVE

The countdown to the season of pumpkin spice lattes and chunky sweats is officially on, but TSU NAMI is keeping the summer vibes going a little bit longer this Friday with her sultry latest single "Easy To Love." Coming ahead of her debut show in New York City this weekend, "Easy To Love" is the kind of song best listened to while lounging poolside in the afternoon sunshine with friends. With NAMI's radiant, glittering vocal chops coming smeared across a tropical trap beat, "Easy To Love" is a summer bop through and through.

WET – LARABAR

Having returned earlier this year with "On Your Side," Brooklyn's Wet is back this Friday with the fragile "Larabar." "It's about a relationship cycle that becomes a loop – eventually a feedback loop – obsessively repeating, breaking up, getting back together, breaking up again," explains Kelly Zutrau of the song, which was one of the first cuts Wet wrote for their forthcoming album Letter Blue. With Zutrau's warped vocals resting atop fragments of piano notes, "Larabar" is another exquisite example of Wet's distorted vulnerability.

MATILDA MANN – FEBRUARY

It's never easy coming to terms with the fact a relationship is dying, but Matilda Mann is doing exactly that on the tragic "February." "'February' is about realizing that maybe, the time with your person, is coming to an end. Sometimes you can both sense it, but neither of you want to say, you just wait around to start that conversation," says the 21-year-old of the song. Bringing together Mann's airy vocal harmonies, a tinkling piano, and very little else, "February" plays out like one final slow dance under the stars with a soon-to-be ex-lover.

TERROR JR – SMILE LIKE THAT

Ever since the days of "3 Strikes" – the song that helped to introduce Kylie Cosmetics to the Internet – Terror Jr has had a quiet melancholy about their sound. This comes to a head on their latest single "Smile Like That." Clocking in at just under three and a half minutes, "Smile Like That" is an anthem for a generation that's sick and tired of being dealt bad hands in life. "You know I can't smile like that/Smile like that, smile like that," sings Lisa Vitale on the follow-up to "Too Soon," which bops with a sort of gentle sadness.

AVERY LYNCH – ALL I NEED (THE DISTANCE SONG)

With COVID-19 continuing to keep many friends and lovers apart, Avery Lynch is capturing the pain of separation on the gorgeous "All I Need (The Distance Song)." Having gained popularity on TikTok early last year, Lynch is almost certain to gain fans far beyond the video app with this beautifully relatable ballad. "I wish I could remember what it feels like/To touch your skin/And what your voice sounds like in person/I know FaceTime can distort it and I miss it," sings Lynch, transforming an all-too-familiar scene into audio gold.

GIULIA TESS – 200417

Ahead of the release of her brand new EP 200417 on Scarlet Tiger – the imprint founded by We Are: The Guard favorite Ross From Friends – Giulia Tess has shared the scorching title song. Written after returning to Britain from Italy – her home country and the place she spent much of the pandemic – "200417" is a lush piece of house music that recently received support from the likes of Spotify and Apple Music. Pairing sultry synths with blistering percussive energy, "200417" is an essential addition to sunset playlists everywhere.

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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.

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