“Head in the Clouds” by Reverse Mechanic

In his new single, “Head in the Clouds,” the musician known simply as Reverse Mechanic explores string-born harmonies with more of a rambunctious moxie than he’s ever displayed in-studio before. Whether we’re listening to the song by itself or taking in its fun-loving music video, its core hip-hop aesthetic comes to us flanked with a pop/rock melodicism that I can’t recall hearing in the genre before. It would be untrue to suggest that other rappers haven’t tried to fuse elements of rock or pop into their work prior to now, but among those who have experienced any degree of success, Reverse Mechanic’s effort is definitely among the more interesting.

Official Website: https://reversemechanic.com/

The concept behind this track comes almost entirely from the idea of preserving the melodic relationship between vocal and verse. Whether he’s rapping or harmonizing with the guitar parts here, Reverse Mechanic sounds very relaxed and unflustered, doing everything in his power to maintain a fluidity in the hook that wouldn’t be possible with a more rigid performance. Even the verses he spits out with a furious intensity later on tin the song have a tonal warmth I haven’t come across in a long time, let alone in material out of the American hip-hop underground.

I really love the guitar element to “Head in the Clouds,” and I think that, in more ways than just the obvious, it accents the beat here better than anything else would have. There isn’t any sort of bassline indulgence for us to sift through in this song; in fact, I actually think it’s a little thin on the low-end of the spectrum. That said, there hasn’t been a single quite this crisp to bear a hip-hop categorization label in all of 2020, and that alone makes it a rather interesting listen for those of us who follow the scene.

Reverse Mechanic was smart to go with a streamlined mix over anything super bombastic here for a couple of reasons. First off, it helps for us to retain focus on his vocal virtuosity, which is on display from beginning to end in “Head in the Clouds” for all to hear and appreciate. Second of all, by avoiding the surreal glow that so many of his peers have been trying to capture in their own work lately, he not only distinguishes himself as an anti-establishment rebel, but more importantly, as a player who wants to make his own brand of musicality in 2020.

If this is on par with what Reverse Mechanic is going to be doing throughout the next chapter of his career, I doubt “Head in the Clouds” will be the last time he winds up in the headlines with his work. There is certainly a lot to get excited about in modern hip-hop; the genre has reached an apex of sorts that is resulting in a diversification unlike anything many critics would have predicted just a decade earlier. Artists like Reverse Mechanic are ushering in this next era marvelously and, mostly, because of the indie ethos they adhere to so well.

Joshua Beach

“Greyhound Bus” by Jefferson Thomas

For the last few years, singer/songwriter Jefferson Thomas has been building up quite the following on the underground side of his scene. In his new single, “Greyhound Bus,” and its eclectic music video, Thomas swings for the fence with a robustly rhythmic rock tune and ends up scoring as big as he could have hoped to. “Greyhound Bus” has all the makings of a classic heartland rock song, but its contemporary edge and lack of political lyricism give it a unique quality few tracks of its kind possess. This is a good time to be following indie music, and right now, this is one of the month’s best new releases. 

Official Website: https://www.jeffersonthomas.com/

I really love the clean-cut stylization of the master mix here. Both the music video and the single feature a lot of instrumental detail that feels textured and highly contributive to the overall narrative in the lyrics. There’s never an instance where it’s difficult for us to discern one element from another, and for the most part, Thomas’ vocal harmonies dominate every angle in the arrangement. He’s got such a charming energy about him in “Greyhound Bus,” and between his words of wisdom and the melodies that accompany his every utterance, he’s sounding like a seasoned pro at this medium. 

Part of me does wonder if “Greyhound Bus” would sound ever better in a live setting than it does in this studio recording. There’s a jam energy to Jefferson Thomas’ recently released material that sounds inspired by freeform sessions spent alone with his own thoughts, and on stage, I think we could potentially get just as powerful a performance from him. He has all the cards on the table with us in this single, and whether meaning to or not, I do believe he has raised the bar for both his own future output and that of his scene in general.

 

You don’t have to be a big heartland rock fan to appreciate what Jefferson Thomas is piling on our plates in “Greyhound Bus,” but those who are will probably regard this as one of the sweetest new songs of 2020. With the immense division the nightly news discusses on a daily basis, it’s always nice to find some untainted Americana that reminds all of us of what really matters most in the American identity. This is a fantastic new single and music video, and more than enough to bring me back to Thomas’ work in the future.

Joshua Beach

“Antherius" releases "Midnight Cowboy"

Living amidst a pandemic hasn’t been easy on any of us, but for cities like New York, the cultural difference is indescribable to say the least. The once bustling metropolis has been reduced to ghost town-status in the last few months, and in the music video for Antherius’ cover of “Midnight Cowboy,” we see just how barren its streets have become. A reminder of the city’s persevering identity transformed into a blushing ambient soundtrack, Antherius’ “Midnight Cowboy” is a commentarial look at the state of society as we see it today, and moreover, the optimistic future still sitting on the horizon ahead.   

Tonality is the primary channel of communication in any instrumental ambient track, but that’s all the truer in this single. The synth play melds into the distorted guitar parts, reverberating percussive grooves and understated bassline beautifully. Though he’s not singing, Antherius is articulating a story through little more than texture and musical presence, which, as any critic will tell you, is no easy feat for even the most talented of players to pull off. The production quality here is top notch, but even with its stylish polishing, “Midnight Cowboy” glows with a cerebral tension you don’t find very often on the FM dial.   

Official Website: https://www.antherius.com/

The synthesizers in this song are some of the smoothest I’ve had the pleasure of listening to in 2020. There are no examples of tininess nor hollow melodic faceting here that I can point to as shortcomings, and better yet, the synths never sound particularly artificial in the grander scheme of things. Much like the lights that dot the numerous skyscrapers high above the Hudson, they feel like the perfect adornment to the foundation of harmonies here, which is a lot more than I can say for some of the other synthetically-stylized instrumentals I’ve heard recently.  

Although I would probably describe “Midnight Cowboy” as being an ambient single in spirit, there’s an underlying jazz sensibility to Antherius’ delivery here that can’t be discounted. Unlike other adaptations of this legendary track, there’s a diversity to the framework of this particular recording that sets it apart right out of the gate. Whether intending to or not, he’s put a unique stamp on a piece of musical history that feels strangely appropriate this May, 2020 (with the ultimate irony being that this was first recorded about three years ago as a standalone single).  

 

If you’re looking for something totally different than what the status quo in pop calls for this season, Antherius’ “Midnight Cowboy” is a great addition to your favorite ambient playlist. Its music video is a stellar optical view into the uncomfortably silent street activity of New York City these days, but more than that, it offers us a one of a kind insight into the artistic soul of its creator. Antherius is a deep-thinking musician, and though he didn’t write “Midnight Cowboy” himself, he makes this song sound and feel like something as original and unrecycled as anything topping the Billboard charts in the past couple of months. 

Joshua Beach