The grind of the drums that we hear in the new single from MkX, “right place, at the right time,” creates the lion’s share of the thrills in this latest rhythmic rollercoaster from the popular indie sensation, but it’s not the only reason to give it a listen this September. “right place, at the right time” is a pulsating beat ballad that vaults between urban pop and experimental R&B territory before eventually settling somewhere in between, and if you’re one of the many who have been eagerly anticipating its release, I can vouch on MkX’s behalf that it is indeed worth the wait.
This song isn’t all about its instrumental brawn (though that’s definitely one of the primary reasons why I think it will rocket up the indie charts this month); in his plush vocal poetry, MkX is actually really vulnerable with us in this single. You could make the argument that he takes a much more literal approach to his lyrics in this track than he has in other enigmatic dance numbers, but I wouldn’t go as far as to say that he’s abandoned the mysterious verse of his early releases altogether in “right place, at the right time.” If anything, he’s simply developed it to be a bit smoother than it was prior to now.
There’s a really intimate feel to the bass parts in this single, and I found the low-end tones to be some of the warmest elements in the entirety of the song. They act as the perfect balance to the callous crunch of the percussion, especially in the intro to the chorus, and because of the silky textures that we hear in MkX’s vocal, they never become grimy against the backdrop of his pristine singing. This is a meticulously mixed single, and that’s putting it quite mildly.
As previously noted, MkX’s lyrical narrative is pretty blunt in “right place, at the right time,” and in addition to being a distinct change of form for his sound when juxtaposed with past releases, it’s also quite a distinguishing feature next to the more surreal fodder his closest rivals have been producing recently. I don’t know that it was his main objective, but he’s doing an amazing job of setting himself apart from the crowded talent pool he’s in here, and it would be prudent of his less than sophisticated peers to consider following his lead in their own creative endeavors right now.
MkX has done it again with “right place, at the right time,” a song that is the perfect mix of classic conceptualism and a cosmopolitan tempo and is almost certain to get your hips swinging before its melodies have disappeared into the ethers. If you’ve never heard his work before now, I think this track is a great way of getting to know his style as it currently stands. This is a songwriter who is never afraid to grow and adapt with his sound, and that’s why he’s become the reliable rhythm-maker that he has in the last few years.
Garth Thomas