There’s something so innately happy about afrobeat music that never fails to put me in a good mood. The tropical vibes, the celebration of life itself, and the sheer jubilation behind the production all make for a unanimously pleasurable experience for any listener. Wrash Heed’s latest EP is straight and to the point, it’s a deep dive into afrobeat that places the listener front and centre of each piece. It’s a celebration, just a collection of delectably addictive arrangements that compels any listener to fall into and relish the experience of being alive and having the liberty to dance to life and all its wonders.
The song’s on the album traverse similar if not uncomplicated territory, but the content is rarely the purpose of Heed’s music. It’s all in the vibe, all in the energy of the production. Songs like ‘All In’ celebrate love and commitment, that feeling of being wholeheartedly devoted and adoring of your other half. Others are more abstract, like ‘Credibility’ which acknowledges life’s hardship but simultaneously encourages people to celebrate the fun and positivity that can always be within. It’s almost analogous to the making of the album itself, with Heed and his producer having to navigate constant power outages and technical complications in Nigeria to actually develop and create this fully fledged production.
If you want to geek out to a project that’s always going to keep you in a good mood, consistently going to have you moving and yearning to dance, ‘Juice and Gin’ is the one for you. Yes, it may seem at first like a homage to the iconic Snoop Dogg song, but the vibes are anything but. In a way, it does retain that relaxing and cool vibe, but the energy is set to max.