I’m not sure who “Emily” is yet. But she’s inspired a hell of a chillwave groove from British indie electronic artist Tourist. I caught this one off last week’s Spotify Discover Weekly playlist, and am just now getting around to posting it.
“Emily” is one of those tracks filled with pure euphoria, crisp and clean, saturated with shimmering highs and optimistic sighs. There’s a joyful quality to the synths, rising and peaking in celebratory swells of sonic bliss. There’s a brief abstract vocal bit at its outset, concerning the should of’s and shouldn’t of’s of the day. But after that, the beats kick in and the electronics soar.
Tourist is British musician and songwriter William Phillips. I’d never heard of him before today. But he earned a Grammy back in 2015 for Song of the Year with the single “Stay with Me,” which he co-wrote with Sam Smith and James Napier. I’m unfamiliar with the latter, but Smith’s name is well known and respected. Admittedly, Smith’s not my cup of tea. And I really disliked his James Bond opening credits song. I do wish they used the Radiohead track instead. But I digress …
What I mean to say is I don’t hold any of that against Phillips, or his subsequent efforts as Tourist. And whether it’s your thing or not, I’m hoping those past accolades open the door of awareness to more of what Tourist has to offer.
“Emily” comes from the 2019 album “Everyday,” and it feels like a small but significant part of a greater conceptual whole. This isn’t an album filled with singles, so much as chapters in an electronically-charged emotional journey through melodic ambience and casually sophisticated house. It reminds me of similar efforts from such wide-ranging and like-minded artists as Lane 8, Belladonna, Bonobo, or yesterday’s post of Sterling Grove.
Anyway, like I was saying, I’m curious who the Emily of “Emily” might be. She seems to have inspired a jubilant sensation of rhythmic remembrance from Tourist. And it’s a feeling that’s infectious … and one I’ll be frequenting quite often from this point onward. Enjoy the synth-wave euphoria of Tourist’s “Emily.”
“Emily” from the 2019 album “Everyday.”
