Sometimes we just need a song that is full of sunshine and happiness so much all we can do is turn to Incognito’s album “Positivity”. A single off the album is “Still a Friend of Mine”, beaming with acid jazz … positivity.
We begin the song with stereo electric piano noises,
something nowadays typically avoided by producers. It brings connotations of Stevie
Wonder and Chick Corea. In comes violins with what sounds like an accordion, a
fantastic blend if you ask me. Bass and drums come in filling the space with
noise, with fluttering of guitars adding on top.
The verse alternates between the two singers over what can be
described as a dry beat. It has gaping holes in the mix to let all the
instruments do their things. The two singers join for the final line of the verse,
indicating a shared spirit through their plight.
In the chorus the suspended chords at the start build tension
to be released at “still a friend of mine”. That section has a powerful bassline
that plays with the percussion. The chorus ends on a building chord of ooos, a
good effect.
The second verse brings in muted trumpets that build into a
cluster chord. It is a really cool background noise. The second chorus
introduces some organ lines, adding colour and tone to the song.
In the bridge, the two singers sing together (or at each
other), working with the lyrics to give a sort of vow to fix their
relationship. Afterwards we are given a sweet trumpet(flugelhorn?) solo. Its
softness helps keep the calm.
In a typical acid jazz fashion, the bass is lifted at the
end of the songs for an acapella. It is a jam, and continues to the end. It
sounds so natural, especially considering incognito’s main body of work.
If I’m to attribute the joyfulness of this song to one
thing, it is the bass. Full of chromatics and jumps, the bassline avoids dirges
or walking basslines. Add that to a stacked percussion track, and we have
musical dopamine.
Final Rating: 9/10
Comparative Ranking List:
1. Dear Prudence: 10/10
2. Rachmaninov Prelude in G (Original): 9/10
3. Stranger In Moscow 9/10
4. Black Sands: 9/10
5: Lights of Home (St Peter’s String Version) 9/10
6. Still a Friend of Mine 9/10
7. Jupiter (The Planets): 9/10
8. Hollywood Heart: 8/10
9. Make It Easy on Yourself 8/10
10. Janet 8/10
11. Another Day in America: 8/10
12. Mi Re (Give into life)
13. Don’t Let it Show 7/10
14. Adagio For Strings 7/10
15. One Hundred and Rising 7/10
16. It’s Your Move (Parkinson) 7/10
17. It’s Your Move (Vaporwave Version) 7/10
18. It’s Your Move (Ross) 7/10
19. Don’t Lead Me On 7/10
20. Rachmaninov Prelude in G (VSO): 5/10
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