BEST CHILL MUSIC - WEEK 38

There's still technically three days left of summer, but I'm in full-on fall mode here. My Daisy Dukes have made way for my chunky-knit sweater and my Iced Vanilla Latte has been replaced by a...hmm, I really don't need to finish that sentence, do I? LOL! Anyways, as the autumnal equinox fast approaches, the team and I have returned just in time for the season change with the latest edition of We Are: The Guard's Best Chill Music. Simply put on some headphones and enjoy the following warm, cozy fall vibes from Alicia Keys, 99 Neighbors, JP Saxe, Vagabon, Taska Black, and more.

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ALICIA KEYS (FEAT. MIGUEL) – SHOW ME LOVE

Alicia Keys and Miguel? Erm, come through. The R&B duo are bringing to life that moment when you surrender yourself entirely to another on their collaborative single and bedroom-playlist essential “Show Me Love,” with Alicia and Miguel sounding equal parts sultry and soulful as they sing in unison over a graceful guitar line courtesy of none other than Raphael Saadiq.

99 NEIGHBORS (FEAT. BRASSTRACKS & PHILOSOFIE) – FUCK NO

99 Neighbors are over toxic relationships on their easygoing latest single “Fuck No.” “We wrote this song in the middle of winter when reminiscing about summertime and people from our past who slipped away,” explain the Vermont collective of cut, which hears Brasstracks laying down some silky smooth, carefree horns for 99 Neighbors and PhiloSofie to do their thing. “We all have people we tried to work things out with, but when somebody betrays your trust it's a big turning point when you finally get to that stage where you can just tell them to fuck off.” A-fucking-men.

JP SAXE (FEAT. GUAPDAD 4000) – WOMEN WHO LOOK LIKE YOU

JP Saxe can't get an old flame out of his brain on his lilting latest single “Women Who Look Like You.” Over a scratchy, plucky acoustic, listen as the Los Angeles crooner smoothly sings about his failed attempts to move on from an ex (by swiping right on women that remind him of his ex, I ought to add) on the Guapdad 4000-featuring track, which is perhaps the ultimate sad-boy soul anthem for the Tinder generation.

KOSTE (FEAT. FLOWERKID) – DREAMING

Every once in a while, a song comes along that transports you to a completely different world. “Dreaming” by Koste is one of those songs. Powered by a four-on-the-floor drum beat, the mysterious producer is weaving another universe entirely on this cut from his recent EP Stories, with wide, ethereal synth pads forming a kind of cumulus cloud on which feature artist flowerkid's voice is able to float with ease.

CHIIILD (FEAT. SHUNGUDZO) – BACK TO LIFE

Introducing Chiiild, the Canadian collective who are making their debut on We Are: The Guard with “Back to Life.” The collaboration with Shungudzo is a genre-defying slice of psychedelic opulence that channels everyone from TV on the Radio to Tame Impala, with Chiiild and Shungudzo's weightless existential utterings floating with ease over a blend of lush strings and cosmic beats. “This song is a metaphor, a fantasy that life is just practice and somehow in the future, we can get a second shot at this,” writes Chiiild. Enjoy.

MOLLY MOORE – LONDON

We Are: The Guard favorite Molly Moore is taking us on one hell of a trip on her latest single “London.” The song hears the Cosmos & Creature vocalist getting in her groove like never before, with kaleidoscopic, psychedelic synthscapes backing a breathy Molly as she seductively invites her lover to “meet me up in London, let's get into something.”

VAGABON – WATER ME DOWN

Sometimes a song is so nice, I have no choice but to feature it twice. Case in point: “Water Me Down” by Vagabon. Just two weeks on from unveiling the airy ode to self-liberation, Lætitia Tamko is back this Friday with the official video. Directed by Maegan Houang, the clip sees Vagabon dancing her way to freedom as alluded to in the lyrics, with the highly choreographed visual really helping to bring out the track's sense of joy and weightlessness.

CLN – BREAKSMYHEART

How can something be so simple, but so absolutely devastating? CLN has officially mastered the art of effective minimalism on his latest single “Breaksmyheart.” With just a few clicks and shivers, listen as the Brisbane producer captures the overwhelming pain of being ripped apart from the one you love on the cut, which opens his recent debut album Dawn Chorus.

I SEE COLORS – MEMORIES OF YOU

This is absolutely beautiful. Meet I See Colors, the mysterious producer who's making their debut on the blogosphere with “Memories of You.” With vibrant, euphoric synths reminiscent of M83's breakthrough hit single “Midnight City” meeting cascades of percussion and emotive vocal chops, “Memories of You” is a truly gorgeous piece of art that you'll want to listen to over and over again.

TASKA BLACK (FEAT. TRACE) – BACKWARDS LOVE (LIVE)

Just over three months on from the release of “Backwards Love” – a song I described as “an empowering declaration of self-worth” – Taska Black returns this Friday with an exquisite live version. Shot in Los Angeles, this bare-bones rendition is maybe even more stunning than the production-heavy original, with TRACE delivering nothing short of an infallible vocal performance over a blend of emotive guitar and luxurious strings.

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Photo by Noémi Macavei-Katócz 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.