BeatRoute Magazine AB Edition - February 2020

The Playlist
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Porches
Do You Wanna
Porches new
track sounds
like an all-out
celebration on
the surface
but there’s
something
unsettling
lurking
underneath.
Synth-pop
mastermind
Aaron Maine
plays a repetitive
and jubilant ode
to the joys of
losing yourself
to dance.
U.S. Girls
Overtime
(Ft. James Baley &
Jake Clemons)
An update of a
track from their
2013 EP that
adds some more
funk flavour and
a sax solo from
Jake Clemons
of the legendary
E Street Band,
U.S. Girls turn
the discovery of
a partner’s lies
into a soulful
and cathartic
call-andresponse
jam
session that
only grows more
chaotic as it
progresses.
Jessie Reyez
LOVE IN THE DARK
Released
alongside an
announcement
that her debut
album is finally
on its way, one
of Canada’s
most promising
songwriters
drops a lovelorn
and cinematic
orchestral
ballad. Reyez
emphasizes the
astral power
of her love
through a variety
of galactic
metaphors,
heavily layering
her vocals
for the most
grandiose effect.
Megan Thee
Stallion
Diamonds
(Ft. Normani)
From the
soundtrack of
the upcoming
Birds of
Prey movie,
one of rap’s
biggest new
personalities
recruits the
effortlessly cool
Normani for a
confident and
bass-heavy trap
banger. Normani
tries out some
raps of her own
on the hook, but
this is Megan’s
comfort zone
to excel as
she steps into
the unhinged
persona of
Harley Quinn.
Kehlani
All Me
(Ft. Keyshia Cole)
R&B star Kehlani
drops a smooth
track where
she dials up
the harmonies
as she thanks
her partner
for embracing
her flaws, but
it’s Keyshia
Cole making
her grand
return from
somewhere
deep in the
mid-2000s that
really elevates
things. Taking
over the second
verse, her vocal
range is still as
impressive as
ever.
TOPS
I Feel Alive
The Montreal
retro-pop
quartet kick off
a new era with
an upbeat and
cheerful track
destined to be
played over the
swaying arms
and floating
beach balls
of a summer
music festival.
Driven by a
catchy rhythmic
guitar hook, the
track captures
the overjoyed
feeling of new
love. To add
to that, the
video sees the
band playing
with adorable
bunnies. What
else do you
need?
Peach Pit
Shampoo Bottles
Peach Pit
frontman Neil
Smith believes
“coping with a
loss can make
you do weird
things.” The
empty shampoo
bottles that
once belonged
to his exgirlfriend
pile up
in the corners
of Smith’s
bathroom as he
runs through
a list of all
the items she
left behind in
a mournful
falsetto.
The 1975
Me & You Together
Song
The English rock
band drop the
artsy surrealism
of their last few
projects and
return to their
old pop-rock
sound complete
with the bouncy
percussion and
wall-of-sound
guitars that
characterized
their breakout
hit singles.
Frontman Matty
Healy tries
to convince
a friend to
take the next
step in their
relationship.
Joel Plaskett
Head Over Heels
Into Heaven
The Haligonian
indie-rock hero
unleashes the
first taste of
his upcoming
QUADRUPLE
album 44
with a driving
acoustic track
accompanied by
a big band-style
horn section
hook. The track
will belong to
the first stage
of the project
documenting
his life’s journey
of the past four
years, and sees
him getting
ready to follow
someone to
the ends of the
earth.
Alec
Benjamin
Demons
Rising singersongwriter
Alec Benjamin
continues to
exorcise his
own personal
demons
through his
highly personal
songwriting
depicting the
darkest, most
anxiety-riddled
corners of his
mind. In a more
hopeful turn
than usual,
Benjamin
instead thanks
his sister for
being there for
him and keeping
him alive in his
trademark airy
falsetto.
FEBRUARY 2020 BEATROUTE 25