By now, you’ve probably (or hopefully) heard “Higher” SBTRKT’s (second) newest single, which dropped earlier this week and features young gun Raury on vocals. Between his husky rapping and soulful crooning, Raury makes the track as breathtaking as it is, creating what will undoubtedly be a standout track on SBTRKT’s forthcoming sophomore album.
At a mere 18 years of age, the singer-songwriter-rapper-producer etc has been championed by everyone from Kanye West to Diplo, from Lorde to Danger Mouse – and it’s easy to see why.
Raury’s voice is outstanding, and his songwriting skills easily match that of artists far older and more experienced. He sings in a mellow and breathy tone, with a strength and dominance that immediately demands your unfaltering attention.
Released earlier this year, “God’s Whisper” is his debut single. I can’t stop listening to it. The track begins with claps, vocal riffs, and some distant whoops and cheers as embellishment.
The vocals kick in, and I’m instantly mesmerised. Slow and steady, simple and powerful, this track makes one hell of a statement. Without warning, extra layers of rich vocals make up the chorus, hype-building licks and more cheers. The prominence of almost acapella-style vocal layers is really interesting and pretty rare, but I love it. Towards the end, the track grows even more powerful, with Raury’s voice soaring on high above chants, claps and a rumbling beat.
Raury has recently released 13-track-mixtape “Indigo Child.” In particular, watch out for second single “Cigarette Song” and the similarly stompy “Chariots of Fire.”
https://soundcloud.com/raury/sets/indigo-child
Originally posted to Indieshuffle.com