M.I.L.K.

About

" The sound of an endless summer "

As a listener, you’d have a fairly concrete set of expectations for an album called ‘Poolside Radio Vibe’, or ‘Always Summer Somewhere’, and M.I.L.K doesn’t disappoint. The Danish artist, real name Emil Wilk, has spent much of his fledgling music career penning effortlessly breezy, chilled-out tropical songs that definitely bring All The Vibes. As he himself had said, his debut EP was all “laid-back beach jams”, while the follow up was “still beachy, but the beats aim to make you move.”

Partly this is down to his upbringing on the Danish Island of Bornholm, which is known as the sunshine island of Scandinavia. Summers there were long and idyllic, the island bustling with tourists. But the upbeat moods are also a very deliberate construct; one of his stated goals is to “soundtrack hope and positivity. We need the good times – and music has a strong role supporting the collective smile of the world.”

And so to ‘Poolside Radio Vibe’, his latest release. The grooves are gentle and infectious, the brass is warm and soft, and the synths are suitably washed out and hazy. Hints of jazz and funk abound, the dial set to a mid-80s, easy listening swing. And sitting on top of all this is Wilk’s effortless, cheery sing-speak vocals, delivered in an upper register and conveying oodles of nonchalant ease. The nights might be drawing in, and the wind getting chillier, but stick this on and you’re back on a lounger, drink in hand, the sun piercing an azure blue sky. Truly, a poolside vibe.