The Knocks - TESTIFY EP

The Knocks
TESTIFY EP
2017
Spotify

The Knocks are the coolest guys in the room, always. Their style is so effortlessly smooth that they pull in everyone from everywhere into their sphere. A prime example is last year the DJ duo opened for The Biebs throughout his European tour, and made their open something no one could miss. They have fun, they get deep it's all right there on the table, oh and also disco. They picked up another thing on tour with Bieber, some moodiness. Testify EP is by far their darkest stuff to date even though it all has a disco base keeping the dance vibes alive and well. Bending genres is something The Knocks are experts at, if you go on a deep dive through their Soundcloud you will find remix after remix that absolutely cooks. Yet it has always been their originals that had the most depth, the most richness. In a time where disco was barely a memory The Knocks kept grinding, confident that at some point the world would wise up and come around. "Trouble" featuring Absofacto is a great example of this. It is not your typical dance song, it does not have inane lyrics about taking back the night or partying all night long for The Knocks that shit is done. Instead the song goes in to trying to understand just what is wrong with everyone. The answer may not be as simple as just listening to your heart as they suggest, but on the dance floor, it might. This record has the most depth in terms of production which is really saying something because all of The Knocks' albums are expertly produced.

At only six tracks it is a shorter EP, but the vibe of these songs is so similar that they all fit together just right. These tracks feel like a moment in time, unified through some kind of musical magic, 90s R&B plays a huge role here also on songs like "Your Eyes" which feel like ballads, but have transformed into dance tracks. It's a place dance rarely goes, but one that is oh so essential. The record closes with "Lie" in which Jerm delivers the performance of the EP. His vocals are pained at every turn letting you in on just how important these words are to him, and then The Knocks tease you with an almost drum drop. It's a fucking fantastic tune and light years ahead of anything else in the genre right now. "Worship" has The Knocks bringing in MNEK for vocals and a full Gospel Choir to back him up, I mean how could you go wrong? Now it is not clear if this is a new direction for The Knocks or just a change of pace for a minute, but either way it really works. If you are new to The Knocks, welcome, if you've been here for years, let's shake it baby.

8.7 out of 10