Big Strick - Simple Pleasures

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  • Like his cousin and frequent studio partner Omar-S, Big Strick makes house music to suit all moods. For example, "The Ride," lifted from last year's Like Father Like Son EP, is a soulful, sultry jam in the vein of Smith's "Set It Out." Like all the records he's released in the last half-decade, Simple Pleasures comes out on Strick's label, 7 Days Ent. As its title suggests, the four-tracker is an unfussy affair. There's a raw, unfinished quality to the music, and "Ghetto Man" is a particular case in point. With its two-note melody and stark percussion, it sounds like the first draft of an Omar-S tune, before the sounds are embellished. Don't let that put you off, though—it's a warm and moving track, and the pick of the litter. The kicks are rounder and harder on "Don't Wait Up" and the vibe is more upbeat, although the rapid rocking of the synths wears thin by the end. "48 Hours" is more of the same—elementary chords plod over woody drums and roly-poly synths. Strick closes with "Illuminated," a cut almost as good as the one he started with. Pads swell and dip on an endless loop, draped over jittery hi-hats and reverbed congas. It's all loosely held together by a melt-in-the-mouth bassline, and topped off with silky keys. It's Strick showing his softer side.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Ghetto Man A2 Don't Wait Up B1 48 Hours B2 Illuminated
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