BEST CHILL SONGS - WEEK 8

There's no doubt “self-care” has become a buzzterm over recent months, with so-called “wellness” brands utilizing it to sell everything from vampire facials to alpine yoga retreats. And while these indulgences no doubt do it for some, here at We Are: The Guard, we like to keep things simple. For us, “self-care” can be as basic as snuggling up on the sofa, with nothing but a novel and a playlist of our favorite songs to keep us company. As the weekend approaches, then, feel free to explore a more minimal approach to self-love this Friday by getting cozy with the latest edition of Best Chill Songs, featuring Shallou, The Avalanches, Snoh Aalegra, and plenty of others.

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SHALLOU – FORGET

Shallou offers a beautifully experimental escape on “Forget.” The sequel to “Older” hears the Los Angeles producer playing with his sound like never before, with Shallou allowing his pitched-up voice to soak in an unspeakable sadness in the misty-eyed verses, only to suddenly switch things around with a funky drop right out of the Daft Punk wheelhouse.

THE AVALANCHES (FEAT. BLOOD ORANGE) – WE WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU

Australian plunderphonics duo The Avalanches make their richly textured return with “We Will Always Love You.” Their first material since 2016's Wildflower is a duet with Blood Orange's Dev Hynes, whose voice comes surrounded by a warming blanket of soul, with The Avalanches revealing “WWALY” samples both Smokey Robinson and The Roches.

MIJA & GAMMER – DIGRESSIONS

Mija enters into the heady world of drum and bass on “Digressions.” The latest single from Desert Trash begins with Mija whispering sweet nothings over emotionally charged notes courtesy of Gammer. Eventually, however, “Digressions” descends into a D&B free-for-all, with Mija revealing she produced this part of the song alongside Noisia's Thijs de Vlieger.

MOLLY BURCH – NEEDY (ARIANA GRANDE COVER)

Ariana Grande's “needy” gets a sultry, smoky, swooning reinvention courtesy of Molly Burch. Released on Valentine's Day, the cover hears the Austin musician imprinting a whole new atmosphere onto the thank u, next highlight, with Molly's Jessica Rabbit-style vocals delving the song into jazz-club territory as she sings to a bar full of lonely patrons.

GALLANT (FEAT. 6LACK) – SWEET INSOMNIA

Christopher Joseph Gallant III documents his sleepless nights in the mesmerizing video for the aching “Sweet Insomnia.” Directed by Cameron Dean, the subtly psychedelic, camera-trickery-filled clip sees Gallant longing for a lover against a variety of color-block backdrops, with feature artist 6LACK also making an appearance in the enthralling visual.

SNOH AALEGRA – WHOA (REMIX FEAT. PHARRELL WILLIAMS)

Swedish seductress Snoh Aalegra enlists Pharrell Williams for this erotic remix of “Whoa.” The Neptunes and N.E.R.D. veteran producer couldn't sound more at home on the - ugh, those feels again highlight, with Pharrell beckoning us straight to the bedroom as he sings: “Put us on top each other, we harmonize/And we hit the high notes like we both Mariah.”

EDEN – HOW TO SLEEP

EDEN gradually moves toward the light on his latest single “how to sleep.” Featured on the Irish artist's recent album no future, it's an emotional listen that builds in intensity but never fully breaks, with muted drums acting as the shadowy foundation from which Jonathon Ng's voice is able to flourish like a flower slowly growing in the direction of sunshine.

BENJI LEWIS – PROMISE

Australian singer-songwriter Benji Lewis continues to hone his beautifully hypnotic sound on “Promise.” The closing cut from Here, Then and Now EP is a gorgeous, guitar-driven vibe that sees the young artist pushing his voice to areas it's never been before, with warm riffs rising and falling behind Benji as commits to being there for a lover no matter what.

LANI ROSE – I NEED A FOREST FIRE (JAMES BLAKE FEAT. BON IVER COVER)

Lani Rose showcases his talent for a good cause on this cover of James Blake and Bon Iver's “I Need a Forest Fire.” Listen as the St. Louis act explores the extent of both his vocal and emotional range on the richly soulful, potent take on The Colour in Anything cut, with Lani revealing all proceeds from the cover will go toward Australian bushfire relief.

DANIELA ANDRADE – TAMALE

Daniela Andrade pays tribute to her Honduran heritage in the badass video for “Tamale.” Directed by the Canadian musician alongside Justin Singer, the clip sees Daniela turn Don Vito Corleone-style mob boss, with the 27-year-old pictured selling her family's delicious tamale under the cover of darkness to the sounds of her jazzy vocals and soft, hazy beats.

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Photo by Joel Muniz 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.