GOLD II - EP

The gilded partnership between Tay Iwar and Le Mav continues to glisten on GOLD II, the second offering from their collaborative act—also known as GOLD. Despite landing on a winning formula for their 2019 release GOLD, the Nigerian stars have resisted the urge to retread tried-and-tested ground here, charging the familiar cocktail of Afrobeats, dancehall, R&B and soul with bubbling, sundown energy. Packing the entire breadth of their collective talent into six faultless tracks, the EP makes for an undiluted shot of feel-good summer spirit; Iwar’s honeyed vocals floating effortlessly over Le Mav’s blissfully laidback production, hitting the ear like a poolside DJ set on a deliriously hot late afternoon. GOLD II gets off to a strong start and the quality remains consistently high throughout, but it’s the attention to detail that truly reflects the duo’s intuitive sense of what it takes to cultivate an all-absorbing mood. From the pulse-quickening transition between smooth and easy opener “Simple Things” and the bright, breezy shimmer of “Feels”, to the vibe-altering tempo switch that takes “Rock Steady” from sweetly romantic to sweetly celebratory in the final minute, Iwar and Le Mav are equally plugged in to both their shared artistic vision and the tenor of their audience.