Uno, Dos, Cups….Adam Wray
Brooklyn’s GODMODE continues to deliver the ruckus. Among its latest offerings: two tracks from 19 year-old Shamir Bailey, hailing from Las Vegas. Bailey’s got a million dollar voice – lithe, rangy, unique, and deceptively powerful.
The first tune, “If It Wasn’t True,” is weapons-grade dance floor material. From steady kick to disco key vamps, it’s dripping DFA vibes – the twice-fried synth breakdown is straight out of Mr. Murphy’s playbook. Bailey hasn’t reinvented the wheel here, but he’s made a very good one. If anything, “If It Wasn’t True” is too short – built on a groove worth stretching out, the track is begging for a 10-plus minute club mix.
“I’ll Never Be Able To Love” is the real stunner, though. A devastating slice of synth-gospel, it unfurls like a glacier calving. Bailey’s vocal turn here is death-defying – he sings like it’s a survival mechanism, like the sounds would rip him in two if he didn’t push them out. It’s hard to overstate how powerful a voice he’s got – wise beyond its years, it reminds me a bit of TV on the Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe’s. Not a bad first impression.
