TOP CHILL SONGS - WEEK 43

This time of year can kind of feel like the calm before the storm. Next week is Halloween, and then before we know it, it's full steam ahead to Thanksgiving and – *deep breath* – Christmas. Oh – and don't forget Black Friday and Cyber Monday in between all of that! What I'm trying to say is that we ought to make the most of these quiet moments while we still can. On that note, as the end of the working week approaches, why not embrace a more soothing state of mind this Friday with the latest edition of We Are: The Guard's Top Chill Songs? Featuring Vagabon, Låpsley, Lykke Li, Tennyson, Perfume Genius, and others, this playlist has something for everyone.

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VAGABON – IN A BIND

Vagabon stands amid the desolate ruins of a relationship on “In a Bind. Within a production as cold and lonely as an empty room, listen as Lætitia Tamko sings about returning home only to find that her paramour has left her on the fingerpicked threnody, which ultimately falls into the loving arms of a gospel choir.

LÅPSLEY – MY LOVE WAS LIKE THE RAIN

It's been a good few years since we last heard from Låpsley, but the Brit is back today with “My Love Was Like the Rain.” The cut finds Låpsley really coming into her own, both musically and lyrically, with a lush yet ecstatic production supporting the 23-year-old as she sings about acceptance of the self and the contradictions therein.

LYKKE LI – SEX MONEY FEELINGS DIE (SLOWED VERSION)

Four months on from unveiling a remix with Lil Baby, Lykke Li returns today with a “slowed version” of her so sad so sexy cut “sex money feelings die.” The downtempo take arrives after an unofficial adaption of the song gained popularity on the inscrutable TikTok, with the change in pace most definitely adding to the bleary-eyed sensuality of the original.

TENNYSON – TELESCOPE

It's always a pleasure stepping into the joyous world of Tennyson, and “Telescope” makes for no exception. The latest single to be unveiled from the Canadian sibling duo is a masterclass in producer craft and dexterity, with melodic and percussive elements weaving together like sparkling constellations to form a song that's nothing short of blissful.

PERFUME GENIUS – POP SONG

Perfume Genius has always operated on the fringes of pop, and it's there that he stays orbiting on the ecstatic “Pop Song.” It's a carnal hymn that Mike Hadreas describes as “a joyous communal sacrifice of the physical,” with the track swelling like an orgy of flesh as it looks to the sky with rapturous intent.

EMOTIONAL ORANGES – SUNDAYS

Have Emotional Oranges written a bad song yet? No, no they haven't. Following on from the release of “Your Best Friend Is a Hater,” the duo return today with the aching “Sundays,” a chocolatey smooth blend of R&B and soul that hears frontwoman V channeling her inner Brandy as she sings about longing for a lover on her day of rest.

VANCOUVER SLEEP CLINIC – ZION

If there's one album that you listen to today, make it Onwards to Zion by Australia's Vancouver Sleep Clinic. The 11-song collection is a beatific coming-of-age story from Tim Bettison, with the highlight coming in the form of “ZION,” an ode to persistence and perseverance that rises to the heavens in its exultant closing moments.

GAVIN HALEY – LOW BEAMS

It's nearly winter, but Gavin Haley is taking us back to those summer evenings spent speeding along the highway on the outstanding “Low Beams.” Featured on his recent EP Long Game, “Low Beams” is a sultry piece of alt-pop that finds the Michigan act responding to a late-night booty call, with the chorus particularly acting as a showcase for Gavin's impressive falsetto vocal.

KLLO – BACK TO YOU

Kllo, the Australian duo comprising Chloe Kaul and Simon Lam, embrace their love for the early 00s on their latest single. “Back to You” is a glimmering piece of R&B that takes listeners back to the turn of the millennium, when the likes of Usher and Omarion reigned supreme, with Chloe's nonchalant vocals presiding over the shimmering beats with ease.

SLENDERBODIES – I WRITE SINS NOT TRAGEDIES (PANIC! AT THE DISCO COVER)

Following on from the release of komorebi, slenderbodies are back today with a cover of the Panic! at the Disco's emo anthem “I Write Sins Not Tragedies.” Listen as the duo put a breathy spin on the 2005 hit single, with electric guitars slinking like opulent serpents beneath Max Vehuni and Benji Cormack's airy falsetto vocals.

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Photo by Upstate, New York 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.