It’s Not Easy To Love, But It’s Better Than Nothing

There’s seldom I enjoy more in music than a sense of being resigned to love, accepting it in all it’s fucked up glory. Artists, if my empathy finds me correct, are often caught between the devil and the deep blue sea that is a life of brilliance (complete devotion to your art at the risk of loneliness) and the necessity of love, which after-all is art’s greatest muse and only true peer in terms of purity.

Baba Ali has been relatively quiet since 2017 when Gold Panda recommended him to Pitchfork as an up and coming artist. Spotify caught wind and his Nomad EP reached over a million plays.

However, I am not particularly enamoured with these previous releases. Whilst they have a refreshing stomp holler/modern production aesthetic (Andy Savours, producer of the most recent My Bloody Valentine release, was also at the helm of one of the tracks) it just didn’t inspire me personally.

Recent track ‘Nothing’ however, is a drastic move to the left. It reminds me of early works from TV On The Radio. I love the 808 (who doesn’t), I love the undulating Blaxploitation wah guitar - a clear stylistic homage akin to the method of the old works but used more effectively in my opinion. I love the chorus, with it’s hook of haunting sarcasm - “It’s not easy to love, but it’s better than nothing” - echoing over what has now become a strangely melancholic guitar jangle.

The video is creative as fuck. Very clean, a perfect independent accompaniment to the unflinching realness of the hook. Red analogue clock type and old pop art signs flash in square rhetoric. Scenes of the artist dancing, pepper the final scenes.

I’m glad that people are still making music like this and that it doesn’t sound dated, and a cut throat lyric like this will always get my attention.