Eventually, even the coldest-hearted people long for the heat of summer: blue skies, shimmering sand, and memories waiting to be made. Lil Thing by Chicago-based producer Knox Fortune catches the wave of summer and delivers it straight to your ears, giving you all the nostalgic and chill vibes you could hope for.
The first second of Lil Thing immediately takes off with groovy drums, gooey elastic percussion, and a wide and wavy pad that slowly pitch-shifts for a sundazed feel.
Next, androgynous vocals slip and slide in with a delightfully repetitive chorus that carriest the subtlest touch of RnB flavor:
“It's the summer, and I'm at it again
She my lil thing, gets me out of the jam
Do your lil thing, put it all in the air
Show me something, they don't need to know what we do”
A perfect refrain for carefree days of the warm months, but things take a more complicated turn later in the song, where we find Knox outlining the trials and triumphs of a relationship from his past:
“And while I know that you mean well
Sometimes it feels I'm getting away from myself
It's the little things that make me weep
The rainy days in Malibu
Staying late after school
Hanging up my calls with you
Even when I'm insecure
Holding close all over the nights, they were pure
We were just 19, alive and new
My heart can't keep from beating
It does it for you, it does it for you”
It’s a touching verse that outlines the struggles we’ve all felt while being young and in love in the summertime, and gives a distinctly human slant to an otherwise completely wavy arrangement.
One of the best touches in Lil Thing comes from dirty, Gameboy-like arpeggio blips that pepper the mix from the 1:20 mark onwards, and bring to mind Toro Y Moi’s first record Causers of This. Fans of Toro Y Moi, Gus Dapperton, or newer Beach House will definitely love this!
Knox Fortune has created a down-to-earth, steady dreampop jam that never relies too hard on vintage sounds to convey a hazy, nostalgic feel, and should be a crucial addition to anyone’s summer 2018 playlist.
Knox Fortune
Chicago-based producer
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