TRACK REVIEW: Spencer Ludwig “Best Life”

It’s a new year, folks. As festival season gears up with Coachella and Bonnaroo lineup announcements, it’s time to dance through the rest of winter with eyes focused on the spring! “Best Life” is a light-hearted romp made for a feel-good movie soundtrack.

You may have heard Spencer Ludwig’s music before; as the original trumpeter for Capital Cities, Ludwig seems to excel at crafting deliciously sweet pop music. He’s also played with Foster the People, Fitz and the Tantrums, and St Lucia, an experience he says helped him figure out what audiences respond to best. His tunes have been featured in Target, Herbal Essences, and Royal Caribbean campaigns; your niece may have even  introduced you to his first single “Diggy,” featured on Just Dance 18.

“Best Life” picks up where “Diggy” leaves off, employing every EDM trick in the book: a trumpet, falsetto, a deep voice repeating the name of the song… and yet, it’s rather charming earworm effect. Its hook could easily be featured in an ABC sitcom or a Maybelline commercial. On the track, the trumpet comes off a bit canned; however YouTube videos of Ludwig reveal an accomplished trumpeter and performer, so the stiff aftertaste of the recorded trumpet is sure to loosen up live.

But don’t overthink it, folks. It’s a new year, so leave your cynical self in 2018. Enjoy the cheese.

Take a listen to “Best Life” below:

TRACK REVIEW: Capital Cities “Vowels”

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It has been far, far too long since there’s been a new Capital Cities song to jam out to, but thankfully we don’t have to go by deprived any longer.

Their latest single “Vowels” is not one to disappoint. It holds true to what we’ve come to expect from Capital Cities already: plenty of synths, a beat worthy of boogieing down to, and some spine-tingling brass breakdowns. Let this new track be the jump-start to get your week started, the pick-me-up you need at the middle of the week, and the anthem to your weekend.