British producer extraordinaire Will Phillips aka Tourist continues to blow minds his knack for featuring soul singer-songwriters that elicit powerful emotions matching the emotional range of his production. On last year's Patterns EP, Phillips hit a home run with Will Heard on "I Can't Keep Up", a melancholic loner anthem, and nearly had a pop hit with the bubbly and anxious "Patterns" featuring Lianne La Havas. Earlier this year, Tourist dropped "Illuminate" with Years & Years' soulful singer Olly Alexander. For his latest original creation, he's recruited Australian "Hustler" Josef Salvat and Niia, an American singer-songwriter with a Banks aesthetic but a crisper, sweeter sound. The result is a wrenching slow-build of a song that makes you feel with every beat and every note, even when it makes you want to move. Salvat and Niia bring the breakup song to life, performing a brilliant duet over Tourist's production, which bounces between intricate dance production and moving, bare piano phrases.
Tourist's debut album is due out later this year. While its been reported that James Vincent McMorrow will be featured on at least one song, the rest of the features, which, if history is any indication, will be strong, are up in the air. Tourist comes to the U.S. for shows at Coachella, and in San Francisco and Santa Cruz. While we listen to his fantastic new single, let's hope he expands that tour.
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Tourist
Holding On (Feat. Josef Salvat & Niia)
- Polydor Records
- 2015-05-24