In the decade-plus since Lil Silva flipped UK funky on its head with the Night Skanker EP, his sound has evolved countless times, and he’s collaborated with all sorts of artists—from George FitzGerald to Mark Ronson, even contributing vocals to Kano’s Hoodies All Summer.
This year, the Bedford beatsmith turned the page on a whole new chapter as he prepares for the release of his debut album, Yesterday Is Heavy. We’ve already had “Backwards” with Sampha and “Another Sketch”, and now we’ve got two more drops in the form of “What If?” featuring Skiifall, and “Leave It” featuring Charlotte Day Wilson.
The former is a gathering storm of garage-leaning percussion tempered by a soft hum in the background beneath Skiifall’s hectic rap delivery that builds to a frantic climax. “Leave It”, on the other hand, heads in a completely different direction. The relaxed beat at the track’s heart could definitely give this some mileage on the dancefloor, but it’s a much more laid-back cut, matching Charlotte Day Wilson’s rich vocal style with sparsely arranged melodies and a gentle swing on the rhythm section.
Speaking on “What If?”, Lil Silva shares: “I really channelled inspiration from our roots on this record. You can hear the reggae, bashment and grime influence weave in and out. It’s about the course we find ourselves on without even thinking, how love and family play a huge role in our life but staying grounded and never forgetting what got us here.”
On “Leave It”, Lil Silva adds: “It’s about being in the now! There’s no need to worry, at least don’t worry about anything for too long. The clouds of doubts that hover over you in life and in love sometimes feel like you’ll never move out of but however grey and however challenging there is a way to get through it. It’s too easy to get caught up in everything around you. This song is a message about celebrating what’s in front of you—the now.”
Yesterday Is Heavy drops July 15. While you wait, dive into “What If?” and “Leave It” below.
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