"Walking in the Rain" by FUNKMAMMOTH

 
The simple joys in life
Whether or not it's objectively "good," uniting against a common enemy is one of the most comforting experiences a person can have. Perhaps the reason that such a large percentage of popular music centers around recounting and reflecting on relatable negative experiences is that people take comfort in knowing that other people out there are also going through the same negative experiences they are. Songs that ooze pure bliss are relatively rare because they often seem unrealistic and contrived; feelings of pure bliss, generally speaking, are hard to relate to for most people. Ames, Iowa jam master Funkmammoth has done what most artists fail to do: his new hit "Walking in the Rain," off of his new album Bird Watching, is a glistening tapestry of real, unadulterated joy. Using samples from straight-laced pop legend Neil Sedaka's 1974 feel-good tune "Laughter in the Rain" as its base, Funkmammoth puts a modern twist on the quintessential '70s feel that Sedaka's voice emits. 
The addition of a modern mix of funky electronic percussion and drum kit beats makes this song natural to bob your head and/or walk in rhythm to. If the meandering bass lines, subtle twisting synths, samples of bird calls, and the overall hazy quality of the layered male and female vocals don't put a bounce in your step, I just don't know what will. Expressing nothing but the simplest of feelings, Funkmammoth indirectly posits that perhaps the key to these feelings of unalloyed pleasure is simplicity. This underground maestro is on his way up, surely headed towards spreading his message of tranquility and good vibes to the masses.