Music Existence Because of Music, We Exist
In the truest of blues and jazz music, hiding behind synths and samples isn’t an option – if you’re not able to exploit the credibility of a real harmony, an honest groove, or a heartfelt lyric, you don’t have a show to play. guUs’ sound, which veers between blues and jazz territories in his new singles “Baron Saturday” and “Moonhangin Man,” respectively, is made of the blood, sweat, and tears that formed the story of these genres generations ago, and they include none of the fluff and filler too frequently included in the construction of pop music today.
guUs doesn’t just lead the beat with his words, but instead leans into his verses as a means of giving us a sensuous performance in both of these songs, especially the more tempo-driven “Moonhangin Man.” He doesn’t have to give the band the duty of shaping the tempo, because his emotive delivery is creating all the framework he needs for the flesh of a straightforward, unforced performance. It’s amazing to hear a player so removed from the inauthenticity his peers are centering their material on, especially when listening to the caliber of music he’s producing as a result of his efforts.
Both “Baron Saturday” and “Moonhangin Man” pair well with a nice American bourbon on a relaxing summer afternoon, but no matter how you choose to consume this content, I would recommend taking a peek at guUs’ work as soon as possible. This might have a stronger appeal to music aficionados than it does the casual pop fan, but there’s no getting around the allure that all of this music has at the right volume. The soulfulness of guUs’ vocal alone makes you want to turn the dial up every time he sings, and it’s a sound I can see myself getting used to.
David Lee Marshall
