BEST CHILL SONGS - WEEK 51

Your family is arguing over the television remote, your dog has peed up the Christmas tree, and you've somehow managed to scramble the last batch of alcoholic eggnog.

And it's only just gone 11 in the morning!

Of course, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without at least one disaster story, but We Are: The Guard is here to help you keep the collateral damage to a minimum this December 25th with the latest edition of Best Chill Songs.

When you feel yourself starting to reach breaking point on Tuesday, then, retreat upstairs, lock your bedroom door, and fully immerse yourself in some much-deserved musical sanctuary with the following chill tracks from Cigarettes After Sex, benny blanco, LEISURE, and more.

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BRIDESMEN – SOMEONE WHO LOVES ME

Henri Nouwen once said: “What makes us human is not our mind but our heart, not our ability to think but our ability to love.”

It's that simple but universal message that forms the basis of Bridesmen's new single “Someone Who Loves Me,” a warm, jazzy swirl of an embrace that, in this increasingly individualistic world, serves as a vulnerable reminder that we all just want to be loved at the end of the day.

CIGARETTES AFTER SEX – NEON MOON (BROOKS & DUNN COVER)

“If it ain't broke, don't fix it” is a wise saying, one that I'm glad Cigarettes After Sex continue to live by. 

Sure, their sound may not have changed all that much since they first arrived on the scene in 2008, but when they make music this romantically otherworldly, who really cares?!

On that note, feel free to join me in waltzing the night away to the New York City band's dazzling latest single, a tragically ethereal cover of “Neon Moon” as originally released by Brooks & Dunn in 1991.

EXES (FEAT. JOME) – ONE DAY

Los Angeles-via-New York City band EXES collaborate with Jome in order to bring us the ultimate “snuggling up with bae by the fireside” anthem this holiday season.

“'One Day' is almost like our take on a winter love song,” reveal EXES of the heartwarming acoustic ballad, which is comforting as a blanket and a hot cup of cocoa on Christmas night. “Whenever we write with Jome, we always tend to hit that happy-sad sweet spot lyrically and musically.”

NΔNO – FADING-KILLER

It doesn't get much chiller than this, let me tell you.

NΔNO, the moniker of Canadian producer and singer-songwriter Whitney Kelly, is so new, her social media accounts are probably being set up as we speak. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't check out her latest single “Fading-Killer,” however.

With its blend of pitched-down vocals, wavy, underwater-style synths, and trap drums, this two-part five-and-a-half-minute composition is sure to bring you vibes for days.

BENNY BLANCO – JUST FOR US PT. 2

And now for an intermission of sorts from benny blanco.

To quote benny about this song from his recent debut album FRIENDS KEEP SECRETS: “If you know, you know.”

If you don't, then allow me to help you out with the following Spotify embed:

Oh, and to answer your question: Yes, that IS Bon Iver.

JMR – SILENT NIGHT (BING CROSBY COVER)

Okay, so, I get that the last thing that you want to listen to is another Christmas song, but trust me, this cover of “Silent Night” is unlike any of the others that you've come across before.

Featured on We Are: The Guard's Indie Christmas, this version hears JMR updating the hymn for 2018 with a blend of dubstep synth wobbles and skittering trap beats, with the Nashville artist simultaneously paying his respects to the source material with an angelic vocal performance that taps into the holiness of the original.

REFS – STORIES

Breakups can be hella messy, and it's not always easy to walk away from them with your self-worth intact and head held high, but Berlin-via-New York City R&B duo Refs are doing exactly that on their new single.

“You know that I will move on/And I know that you won't/Go 'head throw dirt on my name/I won't be waiting for an apology/I'd rather let you speak,” croons vocalist Richard Saunders on “Stories,” a soothing reminder to stay dignified throughout the dissolution of a relationship, even when there's a ton of crap coming your way from the other side.

DUSKUS – WHERE TO GO

2018 has been an incredible year for Duskus, and it appears that the bitbird signee is in the mood for celebrating listening to his latest single “Where to Go.”

“Most of the music I make is normally very full-on, I wanted to see If I could make something different but still keep it Duskus. I think this worked,” writes the British producer of the four-minute instrumental, which manages to sound deceptively simple while still packing in the future bass thrills.

LEISURE – FALLING

It can be a scary moment when you realize that you're falling in love with someone, but LEISURE are embracing that fear on their truly opulent latest single.

“Someone/Come save me from/Falling in love,” sing the New Zealand band on “Falling,” a richly jazzy piece of neo-psychedelia that transforms those feelings of fragility and vulnerability into a listening experience that's nothing short of luxurious.

GARREN SEAN – LAVENDER LEMONADE

This song is too funky for its own good!

Having won a GRAMMY Award for his production work on Chance the Rapper's Coloring Book, Garren Sean is stepping out into the spotlight alone with “Lavender Lemonade,” a sun-bleached groove that hears Garren's woozily soulful vocals getting lost in a flanger-drenched blend of guitars and drums.

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Merry Christmas! x

Photo by Cody Black 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.