By Jess Joy, Rock At Night Toronto

Review: James Black’s single “I Like This” – Release date December 15, 2023

“I Like This” by James Black Released Dec 15 2023

Prepare yourselves, James Black’s latest song “I Like This” is a complete pop-rock earworm! And I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if it becomes a trending sound on TikTok.

To borrow from the title, simply put, I like this song. It’s super short, catchy, and downright fun. Clocking in at just 2 minutes and with such a memorable hook, it seems tailor made for the TikTok generation. Simple sounding piano and guitar chords are backed by a trap-rap drumbeat, add in Black’s alchemy and you got yourself a modern bop. Supporting the upbeat tune are joyful lyrics reminding the listener that things don’t always have to get serious ‘it can just be fun.’

I find this song particularly appealing because of its straight, raw presentation. So many songs today feel uber produced, and I like that James keeps it simple. After the first chorus we go into a sort of unstable double vocal that comes out into a wonderful gritted “I like this…” Something modern rock can often be missing is those raw vocals, so it’s refreshing not to hear constant pitch correction.

On my first listen I also felt like I could see this song being popular in the mid 2000’s, maybe playing over the credit sequence in a big teen drama. The video supports this idea, with James singing to us at various points in his hometown, at times wearing Kurt Cobain-esque sunglasses, and dressed in black on black with a chain around his neck. It hearkens back to the day of early Youtube music videos, but instead of people rapping into low angled camera’s, we have sweeping drone shots showing us James enjoying wide open spaces, which supports the carefree atmosphere of this song.

So, crank it up and enjoy. And fair warning, you may find yourself whistling the chorus for days to come.