Last year, Californian singer-songwriter Nick Leng floored us with his excellent Tunnels and Planes EP, a distinctive introduction to his rich, organic sound. After nearly a year-long hiatus, too, he's returned with another excellent track in the same hazy, sun-soaked vein, "Playing With Fire". Here, Nick's laid-back vocal nestles perfectly into an auditory jungle of crunchy, swinging beats, clean guitars, and ambient synths, and the overall result is mesmerizing. Despite the heavy nature of the lyrics used, the song is one of the catchiest he has, and the quality of his melodies effectively highlights his lyrics and songwriting ability. In short, "Playing With Fire" is a summer-ready track with loads of replay value, and, because there aren't many artists around with this level of originality expressed, you're going to want to do yourself a favor and keep an eye out for whatever Nick releases next.
Nick Leng