Postmodernity doesn’t have to automatically equal pretentiousness in modern indie music, and Selfish Ways do a good job of demonstrating that in their new single “Lit Life,” which features DJ and producer Maahez of “Papeles” fame. Instead of hitting us with an overly intellectual, multilayered mix in this track, Selfish Ways give us something deceptively simple and filled with surprising intricacies that will impress even the most discriminating of music fans this season. This pair is getting a lot of attention from the alternative press right now, and after listening to this single and checking out its music video, I understand the fuss.
This beat is particularly immersive and provides the melody with enough push-back to make it feel like we’re listening to different instruments competing for our affections. The video for “Lit Life” slows down the urgency of the song itself using a surreal visual scheme that I fell in love with right from the jump, and it’s produced with such a causal look that it never looks like Selfish Ways are trying to be campy with the imagery. I liked what I heard in the single by itself, but the addition of the visualizer brought it into high definition for me.
Watch the video for “Lit Life” below
I think “Lit Life” should be considered a seriously thoughtful release from a promising duo in Selfish Ways, and I hope it doesn’t mark their last time working together with Maahez. These two acts bring out the best in each other for sure, but even with that said, Selfish Ways prove throughout their new album Gotham City Vibes that they don’t need elaborate features to sound hot. The chemistry two brothers share to begin with is already immeasurable, and when getting a creative element into the mix, we wind up with content like “Lit Life” that is bound to raise an eyebrow or two.
