South African act Lington teams up with ilovelethu again on “intro (Amaxoki).” Title alone tells you where this one’s headed, “Amaxoki” means liars in Zulu, so someone’s clearly getting called out.
The two already have a track record together at this point, and this one keeps that same energy going. Whatever prompted this record, it sounds personal, the kind of song you write when you’re done biting your tongue.
Production stays in familiar territory. Warm piano runs underneath a steady log drum, percussion kept light so nothing gets in the way of the vocals. It’s not trying to reinvent anything, it just works.
Lington leads with a tone that sounds more direct than usual. Calling something “Amaxoki” isn’t subtle, so expect the delivery to match, less reflective, more pointed.
ilovelethu comes through the way they usually do on these joint records, adding depth without pulling focus. Two voices, one message, and by the sound of the title, that message is about somebody who wasn’t being straight.
By the end, “intro (Amaxoki)” plays like Lington and ilovelethu putting something plainly on record. No dressing it up, just calling it what it is.
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