Brice Blanco is gearing up to release his debut album AFRO URF next month, with the album’s first two singles displaying the artist’s ability to weave modern psych-pop sensibilities through sounds familiar to R&B and rap á la Steve Lacy. Third single “Language” follows suit, with fellow Angeleno musician BOKO providing a soulful hook to the proceedings. Behind the hip-hop drumbeat and introspective guitar plucks lies a sense of yearning, which Blanco chalks up to an inability to communicate—both on an individual and a societal level.
“‘Language’ is my way of making sense of the growing disconnect we experience both personally and collectively,” he muses. “The distance you can feel from someone you love isn’t all that different from the distance we seem to feel from each other as a society.” Regarding the single’s guest vocalist, he adds that BOKO’s punctuation to the verses helped to anchor the song’s message. “BOKO’s hook became the glue that held everything together, because it expresses something I think everyone has felt at one point—we’re all searching for connection. Still, sometimes it feels like we’ve forgotten how to speak to one another.”
In this case, we’re glad these two found connection. Check out the track below, and expect AFRO URF to drop on September 25 via Future Gods.
