Even if you’re not familiar with the name Kele Okereke, you’ve probably heard his voice. After all, although the single “Coasting” comes from his second solo album, Trick, his claim to fame is as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of Bloc Party. Which isn’t to say that Kele’s solo work sounds like his more-famous band’s oeuvre—it doesn’t. Not a bit. But it turns out that his vocals sound just as good against a background of downtempo, R&B-oriented electropop as they do in the arena of indie rock.
“All the songs are conversations between lovers,” Kele says of his latest album, and “Coasting” is no exception to this sentiment. Opening on a swell of spacey atmospherics that soon give way to a nervous but emphatic beat, this song establishes a push-and-pull almost immediately, juxtaposing the skittery drum line against more relaxed lyrics that describe a blossoming mutual attraction. Or, in other words, “Coasting” captures every aspect of the kind of late night first encounter that you’ll still remember 10 years down the line.