It’s been two whole years since Amapola released their last single, for fans that have waited all this time… you won’t be disappointed. ‘All In The Mind’, released yesterday, is their newest offering to the people. Showcasing the darkly, dramatic artwork of Emilie Branford as well as featuring the soothing tones of Peigh, this visceral piece is the perfect soundtrack for celestial daydreams.
Hailing from London, Amapola are a four-step recipe for airy, bouncy, neo-soul. With a somewhat fluctuating line up, they are currently made up of: Sander Priston (keys), Toby Morgan (bass), Finlay O’Hara (drums) and Alex Hollingsworth (guitar). They classify their sound as “chilled beats, electronic fire, and tropical nuance” – sign me up! Vocals for previous tracks have been supplied by Havelock and Poppy Hopson, the latter of which was teased for a return via an interview with Tileyard London. However, ‘All In The Mind’ suffers not from a new feature. Nu Brand Flexxx MC, Peigh, lends his pen to this spectral instrumental. With poetry that touches on the power of the mind, specifically a monologue on overthinking, it’s an inward gazing track that effortlessly speaks to both body and soul.
‘All In The Mind’ opens with hazy guitar before being joined by a hip-hop driven groove and Peigh’s tangy bars. Its sunny melody continues to glimmer throughout, like lil fruity bits in a cupcake. You can see how these textures speak to the inspiration Amapola take from artists such as Jordan Rakei or Hiatus Kaiyote. There’s an effervescent quality to this track, something that oscillates between bouncy rhythms and the smooth sway of what you might call the chorus.
This pendulum is mirrored in Peigh’s words, “they say your mind plays tricks on you, be careful cos it’s a powerful tool.” The mind is a weird and wonderful place and ‘All In The Mind’ speaks to this complex, co-existing, duality. Towards the end, the instrumental takes an improv-esque turn with the percussion and keys dancing between each other like flames. As reverb takes hold, the track echoes out and listeners are rippled back into reality.
Amapola have remarked that this new release is “definitely a departure with what people have heard before”. In comparison to, say, ‘Remedies’ it still retains their tight, jazzy, hip-hop energy. But it also experiments a bit more, switching up the pace and squeezing more funky, soulful oomph into the track in just half the time. Departing, then, from their more laid-back melodies, ‘All In The Mind’ documents Amapola’s growth in the past 2 years.
Bursting back out of the blue with ‘All In The Mind’, Amapola have broken their hiatus by releasing an absolute whopper. Let’s just hope that we don’t have to wait so long for the next!
The verdict: A cup of green tea. Calming the senses, clearing the mind – everything becomes easier to process once you get a cuppa’ green. It’s not over complicated or pretentious, it’s just a perfect companion for some mind-wandering ( ͡◓ ᴗ ͡◓)
Listen for yourself:
*BELCH* 