February is, as we all know, the shortest month of the year. Thank the gods above for that, as it's also unequivocally one of the worst. Cold weather, long nights, little to look forward to except Pancake Day and the faint hope that Spring might finally be around the corner. Honestly, we should just scrap the entire month from the calendar and jump straight into March.
How, then, do you make the unwanted runt of the yearly litter more appealing? With music, of course. There's only one sure-fire way of beating the winter blues, and that's with a top selection of tunes belting out of your hi-fi or headphones.
We've tried to keep things reasonably upbeat this time around, in a bid to stop those SAD symptoms from surfacing. So if you’re not head-bopping to Fat Larry’s Band, you’ll be getting as hyped as a pre weigh-in UFC fighter by a big old slice of Wu-Tang Clan. Take that, February!
So Unusual by Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions
Before Curtis Mayfield went onto commercial success with tracks such as Move On Up and the soundtrack to the film Super Fly, he was part of the Impressions, a Chicago soul band known for its dreamy, almost lullaby-like harmonies. But Mayfield’s social conscience was evident from early on, with tracks such as Keep On Pushing and People Get Ready soundtracking the early days of the civil rights movement.
Of course, this being soul, they did their share of love songs too, and So Unusual is one of their finest. Mayfield sings about being heartbroken following his other half’s affair, but how any thoughts of anger or revenge are subsumed by the love that still lingers. Misguided? Maybe, because as he sings, “What kind of fool am I?”
This is a slow plod through the wreckage of a relationship, all woozy brass and melodic backing singers, whose lush instrumentation will stretch out through a system that’s strong throughout the frequency range.
But maybe I love it most for its vulnerability. Mayfield was 26 at time of recording, and wise beyond his years. You weren’t any kind of fool, Curtis – you just weren’t a troll.
Words by Joe Svetlik
On The Nature Of Daylight by Max Richter
I must confess: I don’t think I can remember hearing this oft-used piece by Richter before, even though I’ve seen many of the films it has been used in.
But as it played over the closing scenes of Hamnet and into the credits, continuing the catharsis of collective grief from the events of the film, I knew that this time, I wouldn’t forget it so easily. It’s an achingly mournful piece that perfectly fits the mood of Chloé Zhao’s film in particular, with the strings so incredibly physical and tangible.
They take their time pulling at your heart as they gently ebb and flow in a composition that strays from being remotely flashy; it manages to elicit so much emotion with such purity and with so little artifice. Played on a system that has little distortion and a penchant for clear and fluid dynamic subtlety, the full majesty of this magnificent piece of music will shine through.
Words by Kashfia Kabir
Gravel Pit by Wu-Tang Clan
I have absolutely no idea what the titular Gravel Pit from Wu-Tang’s effortless hip-hop classic refers to. Speculated theories include a slang term for a house, a drug den or a part of human anatomy (this one changes how you sing along to the chorus somewhat), yet no concrete consensus has yet been reached.
I also don’t particularly care. Gravel Pit is nothing but pure hip-hop heaven, moving from brisk, effortless flows into that smooth, ear-catching chorus courtesy of Paulissa Moorman. Not-so-fun fact: Aaliyah was originally supposed to lend her vocal talents to the track, but tragically passed away before a collaboration could be finalised.
The pleasure of Gravel Pit from a testing perspective is the myriad personalities your system has to play with, as Method Man, Ghostface Killah and U-God bring their own particular delivery to each verse. Make sure your system is picking up on every breath and syllable, all while preserving the unique style and idiosyncrasies of the key performer’s respective flows.
Words by Harry McKerrell
Trouble by Scorpio
I don’t know about you but, for me, it doesn’t get much better than blaring drum and bass bangers at excessively loud volumes. Although I would argue that such volume levels are, in fact, not excessive but completely necessary for appreciating these tracks in the correct way.
With that in mind, this 1997 release from Scorpio (an alias of legendary Bristol-based producers Roni Size and DJ Die) will have you bumping and bouncing around the room, especially if your system has enough low-end depth to relay the full scale of its wonderfully rumbly basslines.
Contrary to the name of the genre this track belongs to, there’s far more to appreciate than just snappy drums and head-bopping bass, although a system that offers plenty of clarity and detail will help you appreciate the individual beats that make up those intricate drum patterns without things becoming muddled. The initial drop will also hit so hard on a system with excellent dynamic handling that you’ll feel like you’ve been hit for six – maybe even twelve!
If you’ve got neighbours who are understanding at best and tolerant at the worst, bring out the subwoofer, load up Trouble and crank up the volume – you won’t regret it.
Words by James Cook
Follow Along by Cusp
With driving drumbeats and distorted guitar riffs blending with sweetly breezy vocals, the indie-alt-rock of Cusp sounds vaguely familiar and comforting. The Chicago-based outfit could easily share billing with Speedy Ortiz, Letters to Cleo and Wet Leg, with introspective lyrics and pure candour peeking behind catchy, guitar-heavy hooks.
In Follow Along, Singer Jen Bender’s clear, melodic vocals walk a fine line that stops just short of twee, with an assured performance that transforms what could be a ’90s throwback into something a bit more distinctive, personal and honest.
It’s not a particularly refined or polished recording; instead, it’s about the layers of texture, the propulsive rhythm, and fluid, nuanced vocals all working together in a cohesive whole to deliver a somewhat hazy track that just feels good to listen to – and one that I can’t stop humming.
Words by Kashfia Kabir
Act Like You Know by Fat Larry's Band
We often find that when we’re testing, one of the trickiest musical facets to get right is how a given product handles rhythms. It’s not something that a lot of listeners will consider from the outset, with preoccupations around textural detail, clarity and stereo imaging tending to take precedence over what some might consider the more esoteric or secondary requirements around rhythms and dynamics.
Ignore them at your peril. A sense of timing is essential to how hi-fi or headphones convey the essence of the music being played, and a dearth of rhythmic expression can often be the reason why a solid product fails to claim that coveted fifth star. They are the fundamental core underpinning your music’s feeling of drive and momentum, so it’s time to stop considering rhythms as an auxiliary afterthought.
Instead, shine that spotlight bright with a slice of early-80s R&B/funk courtesy of Fat Larry’s Band. Act Like You Know should snap into life with its crisp, ‘stomp-clap’ tempo, all while vibrant horns and a noodling bass strain the limits of your system’s knack for organisation and cohesion.
Put it on, crank the volume and see if your head begins to bop along to that irresistibly funky beat. A genre classic.
Words by Harry McKerrell
As a collective, our review team listens to a lot of music. Sometimes we rely on old favourites with which we're familiar, but we are always discovering new tracks – be they fresh releases or just songs we haven't encountered before – that give us key insights into new products we are trying out.
We also know that plenty of our readers are on the lookout for new tunes, either to assess the capabilities of a new system or simply to show off the full talents of their established hi-fi set-up. That's why we have come up with our monthly 'Now Playing' playlist, a rundown of everything we've been listening to and loving recently, whether at home with a set of headphones or at work in our fabulous test rooms.
Each instalment will bring you a handful of tracks chosen by our reviews team, detailing why we love them and what they bring out of certain products. So even if you're not looking for new tunes to play on your system, we hope you find something you'll love no matter h...
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