After listening to his work, it’s clear Ford Sharpless is creating more than just background music; he’s crafting moods and capturing moments. His songs are perfect for quiet times like studying, driving late at night, or just being alone with your thoughts. They have a way of sticking with you long after they’re over. There’s a thoughtful quality to his music that shows his skill as a producer and his sensitivity as an artist.
Some tracks are designed to get you moving, while others make you pause and feel still. Ford Sharpless’s “Undertow” is definitely one of the latter. It’s the second cut on his expansive 19-track album, Sugar Before Death, and it feels like the calm center of a storm, a quiet drift into your own thoughts.
Sharpless doesn’t need to be loud to get your attention. He gently invites you into the music. “Undertow” unfolds with a ghostly elegance, like a hushed conversation between a beat and a memory. The track is built on the DNA of early ‘90s hip-hop, but you won’t find any loud bravado here. Instead, you’ll discover something much more moving: a careful construction of soulful samples, sharp vinyl scratches, hazy keys, and a rhythm that feels more like a heartbeat than a drum machine.
This is pure lo-fi. It’s emotional furniture for your soul that plays in the room and stays with you. The textures are soft yet meaningful, the pace is relaxed, and every sound feels like it’s there for a reason. “Undertow” drifts in like a postcard from a past life, stirs something inside you, and then drifts back out, leaving a silence that feels fuller than before.
In a world filled with noise, “Undertow” offers a special kind of quiet. It’s not empty, but full. It’s introspection with a beat. As a part of Sugar Before Death, it’s a centerpiece of subtle skill, proving that music’s meaning doesn’t depend on its volume.
Ford Sharpless seems to be chasing truth, peace, and tranquility in his music. With “Undertow,” he has definitely captured a piece of it. You should join the thousands of others who have streamed it on Spotify and get into it right now.