BEST CHILL SONGS - WEEK 32

It's Friday, which can only mean one thing: It's time for a stiff drink! Only kidding! It's time for the latest edition of We Are: The Guard's Best Chill Songs! After a long, arduous week at the office, you deserve nothing more than to relax and unwind into the weekend with the most soothing of sounds on the blogosphere. Simply slip on your headphones and feel your stress fade away entirely this Friday as you press play on the following chill tracks from Bibio, Snoh Aalegra, DRAM, Gold Panda, Tourist, and more.

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BIBIO – SPRUCE TOPS

This song genuinely made me feel like I was walking through some kind of enchanted forest – sunlight pouring through the tree canopy above me. British producer Bibio is turning on the charm and then some on his latest single “Spruce Tops,” a whimsical, flute-laden piece of folktronica that sounds like a fairy tale brought to life.

SNOH AALEGRA – SITUATIONSHIP

Is it me, or is Snoh Aalegra channeling some serious Sade vibes on “Situationship?” From her chiseled looks presented on the cover art, right down to her smooth, sultry vocals, the Swedish singer-songwriter is definitely making like a modern-day Helen Folasade Adu on this gleaming, soft-focus piece of R&B, which is taken from Snoh's forthcoming album - Ugh, those feels again.

DRAM (FEAT. H.E.R. & WATT) – THE LAY DOWN

Well, well, well, isn't this utterly luxurious? DRAM is joining forces with rising singer-songwriter H.E.R. on his latest single “The Lay Down.” It's a sexy, indulgent bit of R&B that basically sounds like the audio equivalent of writhing in the sheets with the one that you love, with DRAM and H.E.R. nothing short of killing it on the vocals before Happy Perez closes things out with a guitar solo that Prince would be proud to call his own.

JAMES VICKERY – SOMETHING GOOD

James Vickery is paying tribute to a new love on his latest single “Something Good.” The sensuous R&B ballad is an ode to that moment when everything about a relationship finally falls into place, with the British crooner's pillowy soft, breathy vocals surrounding the ears like a warm embrace. “'Something Good' is a song that's very personal to me, and written about a past relationship of mine,” says James. Listen.

GOLD PANDA – TRANSACTIONAL RELATIONSHIP

It's been a minute since we've heard from Gold Panda, but the British beatmaker is back and sounding as beatific as ever on “Transactional Relationship.” With skittering beats underpinning metallic synth stabs, it's a truly transcendental listen that Gold Panda reveals samples “Sever” by Hilary Wood: “There were bits that went really well with what I'd made, so I decided to chop parts up in my MPC and layer them over my track, thus ruining Hilary's song forevermore.”

SHELLS – MEXICO (PUNCTUAL REMIX)

“Mexico” by We Are: The Guard favorite SHELLS is getting a balmy beachside makeover this Friday courtesy of Punctual. The British producer duo have rendered the piano ballad near unrecognizable with this eight-minute house revision, which sounds like it was factory-made for Ibiza nightclubs, with the chopped-and-screwed vocals of SHELLS coming backed by four-on-the-floor beats and soaring sunset synths. Enjoy.

MALLRAT – CHARLIE

Everything about this is so incredibly darling. Ahead of the release of her EP Driving Music, Mallrat has shared her latest single “Charlie.” It's a nostalgia-inducing ballad that the Australian artist reveals was named after her golden retriever Charlie, with Mallrat singing about her love for the family dog – who also makes a cameo in the official video – over a very charming instrumental that brings back memories of childhood.

SALUTE – FEEL THE SAME

Britain's salute tries his hand at garage on his ecstatic latest single “Feel the Same.” “I'd never made a garage track before writing 'Feel the Same.' I play a lot of garage in my DJ sets, so it only felt right to try and make something in that vein,” explains Felix Nyajo of the Condition III cut – a tightly cathartic, jubilant floor-filler that's best listened to with the lights down low.

LANI ROSE – WARM BLANKET

When Lani Rose said “All I need are four walls and some headphones,” I felt that. Jokes aside, the St. Louis artist has completely captivated me with his latest single “Warm Blanket.” It's the kind of song that's best listened to alone in your bedroom at three in the morning, with Lani getting in touch with his inner Frank Ocean over a dexterously crafted production that works its way through a number of hypnotic sections.

TOURIST – BUNNY

How can a song contain no lyrics, but so much emotion? British musician Tourist is taking us to a place of utter bliss with his latest single “Bunny.” With swirling vocal chops coming set against a cascade of glistening chimes and driving beats, “Bunny” is a truly euphoric listen that William Phillips reveals that he wrote for his partner: “'Bunny' is a term of endearment for the woman I love, and also my new single.”

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Photo by Karl Fredrickson 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.