If You Want Joyful Living

Chai featuring Ric Wilson “Maybe Chocolate Chips”

The keyboards in “Maybe Chocolate Chips” are played with an exaggerated portamento effect that makes it sound very warped and woozy but also quite bright, as if you’re listening to scrambled rainbow lasers. This combined with the soft, gentle voices of the women of Chai, make the song seem cute but also a little awkward and very introverted in tone. This makes sense for the lyrics – they’re singing about the bass player learning to appreciate her moles, so there’s some residue of embarrassment along with opening up and being vulnerable. Ric Wilson shows up for a mid-song rap verse that’s as sweet as everything else. He’s basically there to offer support and reinforce the self-love, just a really wholesome dude who shows up out of nowhere to be very kind.

Buy it from Bandcamp.