Shakalak – Best (2026)
Binding lyrical dexterity, musical innovation, and a hard-hitting, thigh-slapping desire to dance about with jazzy vibes across hip-hop-driven words, Shakalak brings Massive Attack and Pink Floyd to the 21st century – all melded into a psychedelic sweep of sound. We came across Shakalak a couple of months ago with their single ‘Change’ – a song about the “daily struggle of working to make a living, and living to make our society work… to embody the ceaseless flow of frantic modern life…” Today, they take the best of the best and stand up to enjoy reality in all its grit and glory with the single, ‘Best’.
Upbeat and energetic from the outset, ‘Best’ drags us back to the 1970s with a jazz-rock sound. Produced by Chris Barry, the song is not just a song to listen to, but rather a kaleidoscopic experience of cinematic music. Bold and brash, a drum machine pulsates in the back with synths shimmering across the underbelly, courtesy of Samuel Lynch. Jonathan Kelly’s guitar swerves, slices and soars across the song, enhancing its silvery charm. However, and this is my opinion, Padraig Dooney’s saxophone ups the ante in ‘Best’. From the beginning, the sax’s cheekiness leads the single with confidence, but as the melody progresses, it entwines with Kelly’s insatiable guitar to end things off in a soul-stirring sweep of retro rock.
The melody is brilliant; a rollercoaster ride that lifts, drops, pushes, pulls, and takes you on a somewhat mischievous ride. The vocals and lyrics are just as good. John Cummins speaks more than sings in his deep, dulcet tone – an alluring conversation – while Fin Divilly’s backing vocals add a serene, tender, mellifluous lilt. As I mentioned, ‘Best’ was created with the best of everything in mind, and the melody perfectly reflects this celebrated notion. Shakalak explain:
“’Best’ was written with the best of the best in mind… The beat skips, the music uplifts… It’s a hip-hop mystical chant, a positive prayer. ‘Best’ is a song you’ve known your whole life long…”
Find out more about Shakalak on their Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Bandcamp and Spotify.
This artist was sent to us by Jawdropper Music.
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