TOP CHILL SONGS - WEEK 16

Hello and welcome to the latest edition of We Are: The Guard's Top Chill Songs! It's Friday and the sun is shining, so why not celebrate the start of the weekend with some beautiful music, as hand-selected from the blogosphere by yours truly?! Whatever you plan on doing over the next couple of days – be it staying at home and finishing off the last of your Easter eggs (this is me), or heading outside into this gorgeous spring weather – the following tracks from Flume, NLSN, Haux, Lxandra, Catching Flies and more are certain to put you in the perfect mood!

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FLUME (FEAT. KUČKA) – NUMB & GETTING COLDER (BAAUER REMIX)

The man behind the infamous “Harlem Shake,” Baauer, returns this Friday to put his spin on Flume's “Numb & Getting Colder.” It's safe to say that Baauer's interpretation of the Kučka-featuring cut is completely unrecognizable, with the Philadelphia producer's use of dramatic builds, dynamic basslines and characteristic drums transforming the Skin standout into a moombahton-inspired banger.

NLSN – TATTOO ON MY FACE

Much like the phenomena after which it's named, Dutch producer NLSN makes quite the statement with his latest single – summer-anthem-to-be “Tattoo on My Face.” “It's like I got a tattoo on my face/And it says your name,” sings an uncredited (but incredible) female vocalist in the melodic chorus, which precedes perhaps the best part of “Tattoo on My Face” – a euphoric drop that reminds me a whole lot of “Closer” by The Chainsmokers.

HAUX – TOUCH

He previously delivered organic resplendence on his debut EP All We've Known, but Haux unveils a reinvention of sorts this April. “Touch” – Haux's first single of 2017 – reveals Woodson Black's love of everything electronic, with his majestic vocals set against perhaps his most beat-driven production to date. “'Touch' binds the details of someone that you always remember with the nights that you always forget,” Black tells NYLON. Enjoy.

LXANDRA – FLICKER

Once in a while, a voice comes along that completely stops you in your tracks. A voice like Lxandra's. The Finnish singer-songwriter – who was born on Suomenlinna, an island with a population of only 800 – unveils a truly incredible pair of pipes on her debut single “Flicker,” a sprawling piano ballad that's heavy with raw emotion. “'Flicker' is about letting go,” Lxandria tells The Beat. “Dealing with the demons and accepting the situation as it is.”

SLEEPING LION – STOP IT

Sleeping Lion – the Boston electronic soul duo bringing together vocalist Nate Flaks and producer Noah Longworth McGuire – explore a “break-up in real time” on their latest offering “Stop It.” Penned by Flaks alongside his ex-girlfriend, songwriter Abby Carey, as a way of coming to terms with the end of their relationship, “Stop It” is a deeply personal but hopeful narrative (“Can't be mad about it if we laugh about it/And we can't stop laughing.”).

KLANGSTOF – HOSTAGE (CATCHING FLIES REMIX)

Just in time for their appearance at Coachella, Dutch-Norwegian band Klangstof have shared a captivating club remix of their breakthrough single “Hostage” by British producer Catching Flies. The remix hears Catching Flies steer the Close Eyes to Exit cut in a techno-tipped direction, with a spread of propulsive beats enveloping the ever-hypnotic vocals of Klangstof frontman Koen Van de Wardt.

TAJ RALPH – BEAT THE KEEPER

Having got his start busking on the streets of Sydney, Taj Ralph makes his recording debut this April with the easy-going “Beat the Keeper.” Bringing together the Australian singer-songwriter's laid-back vocal chops and a chilled-out instrumental that lilts with a similar cadence to that of Lou Reed's “Walk on the Wild Side,” “Beat the Keeper” is an introduction that comes packed full of potential.

MONARCH – SEA & SKY

Monarch – the Los Angeles four-piece comprising of Brennan Strawn, Joel Plotnik and Brent Kutzle and Brian Willett of OneRepublic – return with what might be their most ambitious offering to date. Opening with a grandiose string section, before soaring to even more formidable heights with help from some cinematic synths and the elegant vocal presence of frontman Brennan Strawn, “Sea & Sky” is nothing short of a must-hear.

GEOWULF – WON'T LOOK BACK

Australian duo Geowulf turn up the heat on their scintillating latest single “Won't Look Back.” Featuring lead singer Star Kendrick's resplendent vocals set against a backdrop of electronic guitars steeped in reverb, it's dream pop brilliance that makes for an essential addition to any summer playlist. “'Won't Look Back' is about trying to look forward and deciding to be excited about what might be next,” Geowulf tell The Line of Best Fit. Listen.

RINNGS – CUTTING THE CLOTH

Rinngs make their debut on We Are: The Guard this Friday with the effortless “Cutting the Cloth.” Built using only vocals and percussion, “Cutting the Cloth” is an exquisitely crafted, artful piece of minimalistic pop that Rinngs tell Clash is inspired by “choral music, Indian cartoons, the beats of the 1959 Wurlitzer Side Man and on and on. Lyrically the song explores the themes of desire, ageing, loss, beauty, loneliness and rebellion.” Check it out.

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Until next Friday, stay chill! x

“Photo” by Tonglé Dakum is licensed under CC0 1.0 (cropped and resized).

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.