Jelani Aryeh Covers The xx in His Nostalgic Reinterpretation of "Angels"
Photo by Brandon Kwon
Jelani Aryeh has a gift for creating music that's blissfully nostalgic. After two albums Suburban Destinesia and Helvetica, Aryeh has built himself a dedicated fanbase. His 2020 single "Stella Brown" gained viral success for its optimistic and upbeat tone along with its incredibly catchy hook. Aryeh is back and building off this momentum by paying homage to Alternative Pop legends The xx.
His new single "Angels" is a contemporary reimagining of The xx's song by the same title. "This song brought me back to the year 2012," explains Aryeh. "That was around junior high and I think lyrics were just starting to hit me. Some part of me still wishes I could listen to these songs with an unconscious, unassuming perspective where songs just made me feel and not think."
Jelani Aryeh puts his own modern spin on the classic with his smooth and emotive vocal performance, but he still effectively captures what made the original so attention grabbing. "Angels" is an atmospheric and envelope-pushing track with Aryeh's reinterpretation giving the throwback new perspective. Although the track is a deviation from Aryeh's self-written material, "Angels" is another beautifully performed track in his growing discography.
Listen to "Angels" by Jelani Aryeh below:
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