Scumbag spirituals usually soundtrack the bad, desperate decisions of late summer, but Che Ecru, a 20-year-old Boston-based singer and producer, is here to buck that trend. On his latest song “Good,” Che shows that chaotic hormones and disappointing nights with emotionally distant partners aren’t the only way to while away August.
Throughout “Good,” Che comes off as a great guy. He listens to Sade, moms don’t mind him in the house, and he'll even explain why he missed your FaceTime call. “They just want fuck and duck ya call until its 12 at night/Scared to be responsible” is possibly one of the most endearing lyrics we'll hear from an R&B singer in 2017.
“Good” is self-produced and samples Brooklyn-based cellist Gabriel Royal. Che found the sample on Ampl Music, a company that connects and supports artists to make new tracks. “The cello samples I got from Ampl Music were perfect, so I didn't really have to do much besides align them and turn them up,” Che told Complex. “Ampl provided me with a bunch of gold to work with, so yeah, that gave me some good inspiration for this one.”
“Good” overflows with possibilities, and is all the more addictive because of it. There are at least three or four different melodic ideas and lyrical phrases that could become songs on their own. By the time the beat switches at the 2:02 mark, Ecru has shed his good guy facade and lets the demons come out to play. When he emphatically sings, “Think I'm from the 6, but a nigga from the 781 town,” you know Che’s talent for infectious melodies and relatable lyrics could put Boston on the map.
Che Ecru has had an exciting year, with the release of his stellar album Buries in late April. Complex listed it as an album that should be on your radar. When asked what he has planned for the rest of 2017, Che described wanting to keep the bar high for his musical output. “I have enough songs for multiple albums right now, but I'm very picky on what I want to give,” he said. “Gotta keep my consistency unless there is a better reason to not, and switch things up for a moment.”
Play Che Ecru’s “Good” and find yourself singing “Yeah we good, yeah we straight” for the rest of the summer.
