Standout Track: No. 7, “Pretend,” a sugary ode to fidelity. On it, Incwell, Sleepwalker, and Javier Starks tell stories about being approached by beautiful women, only to turn them down in the name of monogamy. “You a dime, if only I was a single man,” Incwell raps. “Well, life’s a beach, but I’m still allowed to see the sand.” The Stylistics-sampling production—a fusion of horns, faint bass stabs, and hard drums—is “soul with a knock,” Incwell says.
Musical Motivation: Sleepwalker, who also sings in Incwell’s band, devised the track’s theme and came up with some lyrical ideas. Then Incwell took a turn. “Most of my music comes from my experiences,” says Incwell, 30, a Silver Spring native. “It’s so easy to make a track about a female, but we wanted to do something different.”
Chinese Rocks: Incwell’s Falling Up isn’t even a month old, but he’s already planning for his next EP, Mahjong Rockstars, which he hopes to release this winter. Incwell says the next one will merge 1960s samples with live instruments for a more expansive, and inclusive, sound. “My music is going to get sharper,” Incwell says. “I never want to ostracize my music from anyone. The sound is homegrown, but very much universal.”
[audio:http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/files/2012/11/07-Pretend-ft.-Sleepwalker-and-Javier-Starks.mp3|titles=Pretend ft. Sleepwalker and Javier Starks]