Electronic DJ Mura Masa hit the ground running with his 2014 “Soundtrack to a Death.” After releasing the EP "Someday Somewhere" in 2015, Alex Crossan decided 2017 was the year for his self-titled album to be released.
Crossan, from Castel, Guernsey, released his self-titled album early July, and will start touring in North America in September. He is an electronic music producer, songwriter and a multi-instrumentalist, and his debut album features big names like Desiigner, A$AP Rocky and Gorillaz member Damon Albarn.
The first song on the album is “Messy Love,” which sets the pace for the rest of the album. It begins with the sounds of conversation on a bus.
“New Park Road,” a voice says before the music starts and Crossan’s voice comes in with the sound of water in the background.
“Messy Love” will have you tapping your feet and bobbing your head, moves that will carry on into songs like “Nuggets” featuring Bonzai, and “Love$ick” featuring A$AP Rocky.
“Love$ick” was the second single for the album, released late September 2016. It’s currently Mura Masa’s most popular song on Spotify, and a version without A$AP Rocky was released on Mura Masa's 2015 EP “Someday Somewhere.”
“Please man, pretty please with a uh, cherry on top,” says A$AP with his soothing voice. Something about A$AP’s voice makes every song he does sound even better, so when I saw that he had re-done it with Crossan, my excitement was real.
Desiigner got his big break on Kanye West’s “The Life of Pablo." On “All Around The World,” Desiigner sings over a slow beat that builds up to a head-bobbing, finger-snapping one after the first chorus.
"Give me The ground” is a nice break between fast-paced songs. As the sixth track on a 13-song album, it gives the listener a relaxing moment in between "All Around The World" and another song featuring Bonzai, “What If I Go?”
“Wherever you go, I’m going with you, babe,” Bonzai sings. When I listen to this song, Bonzai is never singing alone because I can't help but join in with some background vocals. The lyrics are easy to remember, and the catchy beat behind them makes it almost impossible not to sing along.
Another song on the 2015 EP is “Firefly” featuring Nao. I originally found this song because it was on one of ODESZA’s many “No Sleep” mixes on SoundCloud.
Nao’s soft vocals mix well with the multiple instrumental layers often paired with a squeaking sound, which sounds like a bed to me.
"Helpline" featuring Tom Tripp is one of my personal favorites. It starts with fast-paced drums, while the rest of the instruments wait to make their way until the 10-second mark.
“Gina, I know that I felt fine/But I need a helpline,” Tripp sings. I don’t know who Gina is, but I hope she gave him that helpline that he was looking for.
The album closes out with perhaps my favorite song, “Blu,” which features Albarn. It’s a slower song, one I can probably listen to on repeat for hours.
“You don’t seem to understand me when I say I’m feeling blue, love,” Albarn sings over a slow beat. His voice, layered with the music and Crossan’s voice, creates something magical. I’m a big Gorillaz and Mura Masa fan, so it's easy to see why I’m a big fan of this song.
I’ve been listening to the album off-and-on since it came out — it depends on my mood for the day. It’s safe to say I will continue listening to it off-and-on until Crossan releases his next one.
Happy second week of classes! Enjoy it while listening to my playlist, “Week Two: How you feelin’?” featuring artists like Mura Masa (duh), KAYTRANADA, Frank Ocean, Kanye West and Cashmere Cat.
