BEST CHILL SONGS - WEEK 28

Summer is a time for enjoying life at a, let's say, slower pace. It's quite simply *too damn hot* to be stressing out about work, college, or whatever else it is that we tend to find ourselves stressing out about throughout the rest of the year. No, summer is a time for sitting back and relaxing into the idea that, you know what?! It's OKAY to spend this day in underpants, doing nothing but eating froyo straight from the tub. Hmm, well, maybe that's just me...but there's no denying that summer makes for a very welcome respite from the breakneck speed of modern living. On that note, as another working week comes to a conclusion, why not take a moment to unwind this Friday with the latest dose of We Are: The Guard's Best Chill Songs?! Featuring Bonobo, dvsn, Jaden, and more, this playlist has something for everyone.

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BONOBO – LINKED

This is music to watch sunsets by. Bonobo returns this Friday with the rapturous “Linked.” With steady, soothing beats meeting vaporous vocal flourishes, the British producer's latest single and follow-up to “Ibrik” is a gradually ascending piece of dance floor ecstasy that'll see you through your summer nights in blissful style.

DVSN – IN BETWEEN

Oh, dvsn... How I've missed you... The OVO Sound duo comprising of Daniel Daley and Nineteen85 are making their long-awaited return this Friday with “In Between.” It's a minimal R&B ballad that nevertheless manages to feel as sumptuous as silk sheets, with Daniel's aching vocals combined with Nineteen85's emotive guitar playing sending this one straight to my exclusive bedroom playlist.

JADEN (FEAT. WILLOW) – SUMMERTIME IN PARIS

Summer is here, and love is in the air. And who better to soundtrack the season of devotion than young romantics Jaden and Willow Smith?! “Summertime is meant to fall in love/Why won't you confess to all of us?!” sing the talented sibling duo on ERYS cut “Summertime in Paris,” a soft-grunge lullaby that'll make you want to grab your car keys and go for a sunset drive with your summer crush.

MIAMI HORROR – RESTLESS

Some songs just scream “summer.” “Restless” by Miami Horror is one of those songs. The Melbourne band are getting funky on their first offering since 2017's The Shapes EP. With gently cruising guitars and delicate synths coming overlaid by the soulful vocals of frontman Benjamin Plant, “Restless” is a groovy delight that kind of sounds like a downtempo version of “The Less I Know the Better” by Tame Impala.

MEHKI RAINE – HER

Having made his breakthrough earlier this year on Billie Eilish's “bury a friend,” Mehki Raine continues to introduce us to his dark, imposing sound on “Her.” With subwoofer-quaking beats acting as a backdrop to the London rapper's Maxi Jazz-esque baritone, “Her” is an atmospheric, commanding banger that delivers on all of the fire emojis!

BELAU (FEAT. SOPHIE BARKER) – ESSENCE

Have you ever listened to a song that made you feel like you were completely weightless?! As that's exactly how I felt listening to this latest single by Belau... The Budapest duo have delivered a deeply arresting opus in the form of “Essence,” with the commanding vocals of Zero 7's Sophie Barker coming backed by the kind of bubbly, lightweight synth work that'll leave you wanting to close your eyes and, just, float away...

AMBER RUN – AFFECTION

Tissues at the ready, as British trio Amber Run are pulling out all of the emotional stops on their latest single “Affection. It's an epic, achingly beautiful ballad that hits like a sucker punch to the chest, with frontman Joe Keogh's yearning vocals taking center stage as he sings about a toxic relationship that he finds himself caught up in: “I'll kiss your eyes, I'll wash your skin/Forget myself and let you in/'Cause all I want is that cold affliction, your affection.”

LANI ROSE – DAMAGED

Meet Lani Rose, the St. Louis musician who's introducing us to his multifaceted sound on the ethereal, emotive “Damaged.” Opening with muted guitars, before Lani's Frank Ocean-esque vocals enter to sweep us up into an electronic-pop dream, “Damaged” is an otherworldly listen that the genre-defying artist reveals was inspired by his complicated relationship with his brother: “The song itself is me trying to figure out the mature way for me to go about fixing what we have since we are so close, or at least supposed to be.”

FORESTER – PRESENT

It doesn't get more chill than this, let me tell you. Santa Monica two-piece Forester are taking us to another universe entirely with their latest single and the follow-up to “Kerosene.” Featuring female and male vocal chops intertwining in melodic ecstasy over soaring synth pyrotechnics, “Present” is the perfect song to listen to whenever you need a brief escape from reality.

NO SUITS – SUE

Introducing No Suits, the Los Angeles band who have just dropped the most carefree tune of the whole damn summer! No, really, “Sue” is basically the audio equivalent of cracking open a Corona on the hottest day of the year and stretching out on a sun lounger, with laid-back raps meeting easygoing percussion, before a funky, groovy guitar solo rips through to wake us up from our daydream.

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Have a great weekend! x

Photo by Heng Films 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.