Following a very consistent release schedule, Bill Wurtz once again comes into the music stratosphere to bless us listeners with another gem, ‘At The Corner Store’.

There’s something very particular about the way Bill writes his music, where you feel like every single beat (and every rhythm in-between) are meticulously planted and calculated to have a perfect amount of sounds. That method of writing makes the rhythm sound so incredibly tight, both feeling very busy in groove while leaving room for the song itself to breathe, despite the cluttered circumstances. The soft-spoken delivery of Bill’s voice serves the more calm-yet-hyper style ‘At The Corner Store’ bears. The vocal harmonies are very layered in this track, following the melody almost the entire way through, giving support to the already complex jazz harmony expressed by the various synths, keys, and organ. The drums really are a highlight in this track, playing around with half-time turnarounds to really give a push-and-pull feel to the rhythm. Where the drums aren’t being explicit about the groove, other instruments such as the bass give it whatever the drums miss, helping with the ultra-precise feel of the rhythm section. There’s an array of fun synths being used from start to finish, helping to give the song a retro feel, despite the songwriting being extremely modern in ideas and execution. There’s something especially Jacob-Collier-esque about this track, which is no surprise as the two musicians are some of the most talented of modern music. ‘At The Corner Store’ follows an almost non-linear approach, feeling more like a story than a traditionally-structured song, though it remains just as catchy as the latter.

‘At The Corner Store’ is another example to Bill Wurtz genius, in all its absurd glory. The lyrics are hilarious, encompassing the socially awkward vibes that are exuded even by the instrumentation. As a song, in all its sporadic sections, are to be studied and cherished all the same. Bill Wurtz knows what he’s doing, that much is true.  

Author: Nicholas Gaudet

Music producer and writer from Dieppe, Canada.