In his third studio record, the Thai troubadour pushes beyond his surf-pop territory without losing his trademark chill
Singto Numchok/ Just Have Fun With It
We know that we may be flirting with hyperbole, but Singto Numchok could do no wrong at this point. After having made a name for himself as something of a surf-pop hero (not to mention jump-starting the country's ukulele craze), the affable singer-songwriter has been a go-to guy for laid-back, worry-free music that has undoubtedly soundtracked the road trips and beach getaways of many. From his 2012's debut to English-language releases (Sticky Rice EP and 2016's full-length Chok Dee), he has been consistent in his sonic aesthetic, and in the process, has made a lot of people feel like they're on a vacation even when they're stuck in the traffic somewhere in Bangkok.
Judging from its album cover, Singto's third studio album, Just Have Fun With It, looks like it might just be another sleeping-in-a-hammock affair. In fact, this is the furthest removed from surf-pop he's even been musically. Will You Marry Me? opens with a healthy dose of chill-hop, a trip-hop's subgenre that fuses jazz with hip-hop. R U OK (Ched) offers a spot of smooth R&B complete with a rap breakdown while lite-reggae Na Doo features vocals from The Voice Thailand alum Wan Wanwan and MC Young Bong.
More guests appear on You Gonna Like It, a rollicking bluegrass ditty courtesy of rising Thai blues quartet The Vintagers. "I got me a song/ Right here tonight/ It's guaranteed to make you feel alright," he sings alongside shuffling drums. "It's gonna make you happy/ You're gonna move your feet/ So come, come together/ Come and dance with me." An album stand-out, this deserves some serious line dance choreography.
Elsewhere on the album, there's a couple of tracks that still sound familiar to his fans. Mun Took Yu Laew is an acoustic mid-tempo number laced with swaying horns. Why, Why, Why? is a hilarious depiction of a partner who's upset but doesn't want to say so ("You said you were ok/ Then you're not ok/ I don't know if I should be ok with that?"). Missing the ukulele? Por Lor Kid Teung is here to fix that with some good old strumming, plus melodic guitar, which make the whole thing a verifiable pop gem. Tok, on the other hand, finds him diving into the bossa nova waters. But this is no run-of-the-mill bossa nova fodder – the way the guitar crescendo taunts with the singing is simply masterful.
With elements of chill-hop, blues,hip-hop at play, Just Have Fun With It may not be your typical Singto Numchok album, especially if you're a long-time fan expecting to hear surfy, carefree material. Having said that, he deserves credit for wanting to expand outside of his repertoire, yet still managing to stay wholly down-to-earth. Like the title suggests, he's clearly having fun with it. n
Telex Telexs/ Sawn (B2B) Thai synth-pop quartet Telex Telexsserve up another melodic pop in the form of Sawn (B2B), the second single preceded by last year's Yood Truad (Love Chaser). The band, a teaming of singer Sorrarat "Aom" Limpanopparat, guitarist Kirakorn Ingkavarapornkul, keyboardist Kasidath Ritngarm and bassist Parkorn Panong, are in their element here, providing plenty of synths and feel-good retro vibes. Lyrics-wise, it's all about hidden love ("Hidden love/ No movements/ No matter how much I'm in love with you/ I can only say it here"). Gorillaz (feat. George Benson)/ Humility Humility is the first taste of Gorillaz's forthcoming sixth studio album The Now Now. Featuring renowned jazz guitarist George Benson, the song packs full of summery vibes buoyed by vocalist Damon Albarn's warm vocals. "I'm alone between the left hand/ Reset myself and get back on track/ I don't want this isolation/ See the state I'm in now?" he sings over Benson's masterful strumming. "If I pick it up when I know that it's broken/ Do I put it back?/ Or do I head out on to the lonesome track and let you go?"This is perhaps the most laidback offering we've heard from the band to date. Weezer/ Africa Toto's Africa, in case you didn't know, has somehow become the Internet's favorite song and inevitably inspired a wide range of memes. This meme cycle happened to include a Twitter account called "weezer cover africa by toto,"a fan campaign supposedly run by a 14-year-old girl named Mary. This then led the LA band Weezer to actually cover the song Africa by Toto. Now that the backstory's out of the way, the cover itself doesn't stray too far away from the original, except for those trippy synth flourishes which are lovely touch. Thank you, Mary, for making this happen. The Moffatts/ Like I Love U The Moffatts, a band of Canadian brothers partially responsible for the country's '90s boy band hype, serve up another comeback single entitled Like I Love U. A follow-up to lead-off single Secrets released earlier this year, the track finds the siblings still adhering to the tried- and-trusted pop formula that'd earned them loyal fans from round these parts. Feeling nostalgic and wanting more? Look out for their forthcoming EP, which will mark the group's first collection of new music since 2000's Submodalities. Sales/ White Jeans Sales have been crushing the game since 2013 with their brand of lush, lo-fi indie-pop. After the release of their 2016's full-length debut, the Orlando duo is finally back with new music. Here, we're treated to White Jeans, a warm and inviting track that captures the flirtatious exhilaration. "You come on to me/ At a cool party/ This is not a test/ This is not a dream," sings vocalist Lauren Morgan in the opening verse, barely containing her surprise. "I can feel your heat/ Coming to me/ Coming to me in waves."This is what Sales excel at: crafting earnest songs about simple things. nThe Playlist
