Trends have always been wholly cyclical in the case of music, and over the past few years, neo-soul has triumphed in its resurfacing to the top of the contemporary. The London-based pairing of vocalist and songwriter Kristy X and producer-instrumentalist Raph A, otherwise known as the eponymously named Silk Cinema, has revelled in their reinterpretation of the timeless genre. Both silky smooth and rapturously cinematic, the duo slide into 2021 with “How To Find Perfection,” their first release of the year.
Despite the crisp and cutting edge of their sound it naturally pulls from the past as much the present, with the duo revealing in an email statement that, “musically, the idea was sparked by a conversation about our dads’ mutual love for Steely Dan and Raph had been working on jazz chord progression in that vein.”
Striding straight into a swaggering strut, the rhythm swiftly pulls you into the enveloping groove, with each meticulously placed element feeling exactly where it needs to be. Funkily plucked guitars and soft synths lay atop said snappy rhythm, laying a heady foundation for Kristy’s dutifully honeyed vocal tones to capture your attention firmly with both hands.
Brooding and contemplative, the dynamic energy of the track softly fluctuates with a mellow and ebb and flow that urges more focus to the introspective and relatable lyricism, of which Kristy alludes in the same statement, “I think I had to write this song to be okay with never being able to find perfection. As humans, we learn a lot as we go on our journey of life. ‘How To Find Perfection’ is really about the stage I am at in my life now. I’ve learned to care less. I’m not perfect nor will I ever be, and it feels so good to be okay with it!”
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