Track of the Day: Chucky Trading Co – Sweet & Sour
Drawing together the diverse experiences and influences of US-based producer Everett Young and singer-songwriter CS Taber, Chucky Trading Co is a project that is both minimalist and kaleidoscopic. While Taber weaves his multi-coloured sonic tapestry with folk, rock and pop sounds, Young opts for a simplistic approach building a cinematic soundscape. Veteran artists, the gents already have established positions in the music world; however, Chucky Trading Co is one of the more interesting emerging acts in the past couple of years. One of the more recent additions to their well-received discography is the single ‘Sweet & Sour’.
Preceding their more current tracks ‘Margarita’ and ‘Peace with the Devil’, ‘Sweet & Sour’ combines the toe-tapping soothing folk sounds with tinges of soft folk underneath. As with the majority of folk artists, the track has an acoustic-inspired tone with soft drums, acoustic guitars and mellow vocals. Yet, the interspersed electronic guitar and keyboard plink-plonk insert a synthetic aspect to the song. Perhaps Taber and Young are searching for that line between organic and synthetic instrumentation in the harmonic arrangement?
Easily described as a ballad, ‘Sweet & Sour’ uses different layers and textures to achieve an almost palpable intimacy in the delicate tune. Like moonlight hitting the surface of a glassy lake, the dulcet vocals imprint a fragile beauty on the soundscape. While there is a minimalist nature to the track enhancing its melodic poignancy, the sentimentality wraps you in a multi-coloured blanket of sound.
The well-placed highs and lows of this soul-stirring melody are hypnotic, but it is the lyrical content that adds depth and innovation. Chucky Trading Co share that ‘Sweet & Sour’ is about “the fireworks that follow and love that persists after your lover first hears a song you have written to a fictional other person”. Personally, I would feel a little uncomfortable listening to a song my lover wrote for another (even if he/she was fictional). Chucky Trading Co looks beyond the surface emotions and embraces the more significant, sentimental and sincere side of things. The simple conclusion is that I love this duo and am eager to hear all they have to offer.
For more from Chucky Trading Co check out their official website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
