Song of the Day: Little Children - (we used to feel) Higher

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s selection, featured on The Morning Show with John Richards, is “(we used to feel) Higher” by Little Children from his 2016 album, f.f, out on Cosmic Music.Little Children - (we used to feel) Higher (MP3)Under the same skies of the Northern Lights, Stockholm's Little Children, a.k.a. Linus Lutti, creates an eclectic cascading of soothe-sailing pop rock gems. With one full-length, In Silence (2010), and his three EPs - In Hau (2012), Falling (2013), and Traveling Through Darkness (2015) - under his belt, the Swedish singer-songwriter one-upped himself last October with his 2016 sophomore full-length, f.f. Working on the side as a bartender and working on various side projects, he previously collaborated with Andreas Söderström (Anna Thernheim, Taken by Trees, ASS) and Petter Winnberg (Miike Snow), plus dabbled in his old pop rock project, Idiot Kid.

Little Children's minimal use of sustained synth acts as a stabilizer throughout his songs while his more prominent use of drums in the mix pair well with the brighter guitar accents and his more lax, breathe-yearning timbre. The soothing variegated patterns of his songs mimic that of the Northern Lights ranging from colors of light electro pop, self-proclaimed hues of Suicide, Bryan Adams, and PJ Harvey, in addition to auras of The Boss, and even vocal streaks of Phil Collins in a song like "(we used to feel) Higher." Clocking in at 3:59 and positioned as the album's caboose, "(we used to feel) Higher" has a tone that seems significantly more '80s upbeat and synth-driven, contemporarily club-friendly, and vocally voluminous, which all allow it to seem to be his most experimental within the context of the rest of the album. The production sophistication and complexity of the song throws his minimalist style to the wind and in turn creates a triumphant nightclub closer.

When it comes to playing shows, going on tour, or releasing any new tunes, Little Children is staying "in silence", if you will. But you can check out more of his music on Facebook and hear another one of his soothe-sailing jams, entitled "Tear Us Apart Again," also from his 2016 LP, f.f, below.