A highlight from his debut project, Those Who Wait, the soulful tones of Daley are brought to life with this very watchable visual.
The monochromatic filter throughout the video is a perfect fit for the intense, slightly dark lyricism, and its straightforward nature contrasts well with the diverse set of genres Daley crosses with the audio. The finer complexities are embodied in the more artistic elements of the video, with the various painted women adding a mystical, ethereal aspect to the video, whilst the gradual development of the scenery and weather conditions progressively heightens the intensity of the clip.
Certainly worth a watch, and most definitely worth a listen. Grab the track on the free mixtape here.
One of the genuine talents emerging from the UK soul scene, Daley comes through with a mixtape that has been quite some time in the making. Featuring 10 tracks, the project boasts plenty of new material and a couple of tracks to satisfy those who have been more longtime fans. Many will be familiar with his work as the vocalist on the Gorillaz single Doncamatic, and I fully expect this tape to build on his burgeoning reputation.
I’m particularly excited to listen to Daley’s rendition of Maxwell’s phenomental Pretty Wings: if it’s anywhere near as good as (or taken from) the version posted back in November of last year, we’re absolutely in for something special. Of course, it’ll be great to get some original material too, and this is likely to be a must-have for most music fans. Free grab below at Daley’s place.
Quite the unexpected collab here, as Banner hooks up with two UK talents for his latest effort. In a similar manner to Gorillaz’s Doncamatic, this track ends up being a bit of a showcase for Daley rather than for the actual ‘title’ artist.
I assume Banner helmed the production, and he serves up a vintage soul-inspired production that certainly suggests he’s much more than the ‘southern’ hip-hop beats he’s been previously known for. Very bouncy, upbeat vibe to this one that compliments both Estelle and Daley well, with Daley making the most of his fairly extensive vocal exposure with a catchy, rousing performance. One that could easily crack the mainstream, but may get repetitive for the rest of us.
Video is very lively and colourful, and has a nice freedom about it that captures the vibe of the song well. Does the job well enough without ever really excelling, and fits the song in that sense by being decent, if unspectacular.
A lively, upbeat take on the popular single Doncamatic, the Lonsdale Boys Club add a thicker alternative funk vibe to the track through well-placed guitar licks, backing vocals and perky synth work. A far cry from the darker, dub-heavy remix by Joker, LBC do a great job in adding a bubbly positivity to Daley’s passionate vocal stems. Worth a listen if you liked the original, maybe less so if you preferred the Joker remix.
An upcoming singer that oozes potential, Daley comes through with a fantastic acoustic performance for SB.TV. Unbelievable set of vocals on this guy, as he comes through with a rousing and passionate performance of a track from his upcoming EP.
How bright is the UK scene right now?! Daley, Ed Sheeran and Yasmin are easily three of the best talents in the music industry by my reckoning, and that’s counting the US upcomers too. Can’t wait to hear more from this guy, and after watching this video I’d be surprised if you disagree.
Click here to check out past Daley material. His cover of Maxwell’s Pretty Wings in particular is phenomenal.
Having seen the video (if you haven’t already, do so here), I think we’re all in agreement that the audio is a must-have. Damon Albarn and the boys (with backup from Daley) did a superb job on capturing the essence of the original, so be sure to grab the live cover version below.
Lots of music to catch up on from the weekend. First up, the Gorillaz (with the help of Daley on backing vocals) come through with a superb cover of The xx’s fantastic Crystalised.
Damon Albarn preserves the smooth, winding feel of the original with this one, retaining a sombre tone in his voice and keeping the instrumentation very simple. Really worth a watch if you’re a fan of The xx/the original song.
Hugely anticipated visuals for the latest Gorillaz effort. Featuring the brilliant Daley on vocals (proof of brilliance), this video really serves to put him centre stage as he embarks on an underwater adventure.
Doncamatic is certainly one of those songs that gets better with every listen. As an audio-visual experience, it’s typical Gorillaz: fun, colourful and not lacking in musical quality. Be sure to give a listen to the Joker remix of the track too.
Wow. After re-visiting his work on the recent Gorillaz track, I went on a little scouting mission to learn about UK singer Daley, and it looks like I’ve uncovered something/someone rather special.
Maxwell’s 2009 Blacksummers’night is a modern-day masterpiece (review here), and Daley takes on one of the prominent works from that album with incredible quality, and delivers a rendition which is every bit as good as the original. Being a huge Maxwell fan that’s tough for me to say, but there is no doubting the talent Daley possesses: this particular track is as tough a test as you’ll find when it comes to vocal versatility, but he manages to both smooth and upscale his vocals comfortably throughout, delivering a relaxed yet powerful performance. I can’t praise this enough.
The original version was available to stream a few weeks back, and despite the official release still a little while away, we’re treated to a very likeable remix.
Throwing out the playful, lively production of the original, Joker switches in an electro/dub-influenced production that takes this song miles away from its original pop sound and into the realm of the dubstep/grime/electro heads. Crucially, it still has Daley’s great vocals and hence retains a ‘human’ feel, something this style of music often lacks. It’s a well-worked blend that stands as one of the better dub-influenced tracks I’ve heard to date.
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