An insightful melding of hip-hop and lounge-friendly soul, “The Distance” is a new single from Hamilton Hound, aka Ian Hamilton. James Mason‘s production is enveloping throughout, pairing an assortment of blaring organs, smooth brass, and soulful vocals — also featuring Liz Arcane‘s debonair vocal infusions. The trio of collaborators succeed thoroughly from a stylistic and melodic perspective, standing out in both Arcane’s replay-inducing central hook and the more contemplative verses.
Themes of resiliency and balance permeate throughout, pondering what equates to success in life — whether it’s achievements, love, or a combination of various elements. The lyrics eloquently convey a struggle between “balancing personal dreams with family demands,” with smoky enthrallment, as Arcane lets out “let’s get down to business,” into brass-forward suaveness. “I can see the distance,” she sings, maintaining a hypnotic engrossment. “The Distance” is a fantastic success, successfully blending hip-hop and soul nostalgia.
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The track is also featured in the genre-based, best-of Spotify compilation Emerging Hip-Hop. Stream the playlist below:
We discovered this release via MusoSoup, as part of the artist’s promotional campaign.
