Hux – “black palm trees” – FIRE ROUND: Four Reasons Why
Each year hundreds of creatives move to Los Angeles in hopes of pursuing their dreams. Thanks to LA’s often fabricated image and the never ending proliferation of creative migrants, all claiming to want the exact same thing, the city of angels can often contort into the city of soul sucking demons. Some try to tough it out in this bustling town, some give up, deciding what they had to sacrifice for their art might not be worth it; others take a different approach, seeking an alternative method or artistic hub to create in.
Cue up & coming left-of-center artist Hux and his latest single to date “black palm trees.” In his own words,
“‘black palm trees’ is about when I used to live in Los Angeles. It’s about self-sabotage and letting LA get the best of me. Chasing everyone else’s approval except my own. Letting the ones I loved down. Honestly, I could go on and on about what my song represents, but I feel like listening to the song is all you really need in order to understand my experience. I’d rather leave the listeners experience up for interpretation and what is relevant to their lives after hearing the song. That is why music is so powerful. I love when songs are able to awaken that emotion. I feel like black palm trees does that. I hold this particular song very close to my heart.”
Since then, Hux has made the move to Nashville, a better creative fit and the birthplace of this song. So without further ado, from our listener’s perspective, four reasons why we are feeling Hux’s “black palm trees.”
1. The acoustic guitar line over a chilled, hip hop rhythmic foundation. When the lo-fi beat is introduced at 0:39, a hypnotic shift occurs, allowing the listener to feel & reel together with Hux through the hardship he’s describing.
2. His style of combining pop vocalization with elements of rap, but not falling into the pop-rap word, manifesting a refreshing sound that doesn’t feel derivative.
3. The doubled whistling section that is sprinkled through out the track, giving a more casual feel to the song and the listener, an interesting sonority to play with.
4. The honesty and integrity present in the lyrics, especially regarding a subject matter that can be difficult to confront while actively pursing a career in music. Thank you Hux, for sharing what many of us are feeling, but may be afraid to admit to ourselves or speak out loud.
Though still a proud Nashville resident, Hux will make his return to Los Angeles on Dec. 11 at We Found New Music’s showcase at the Hi Hat. Don’t sleep on this one, be sure to RSVP HERE!
