An enjoyably woozy single from bail bonds, “CALIFORNIA KING” fights late-stage capitalism with “a coat of spiritual armor made of LOVE,” per the project. As blood money and corruption rums amok in American politics especially, the track pursues an understanding ethos: “The only thing that can make it all OK is the only thing that makes anything OK — we find LOVE and we cultivate it like our life depends on it (because it does),” the artist explains.
“The song is ultimately a love letter to my girl — I’ll play the game, I’ll chase the money, I’ll dance with the darkness and run the rat race to create this life for us. I’ll do it all because the only thing I know for sure is that with you by my side, that darkness will never become us.”
The opening “I wanna give you everything,” proclamation plays aptly within that perseverant theme, guiding into a steady percussive pulse alongside gentle guitars and mellow key trickles. Alt-rock distortion appears — “chasing money like a blood hound,” — intermittently between the dreamy introspection. “CALIFORNIA KING” is a winning output from bail bonds.
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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Best of November 2023’ Spotify playlist.
