The Predatory Wasp
Dawn Richard and Spencer Zahn first collaborated on 2022’s fantastic Pigments and recently announced a new album, Quiet in a World Full of Noise, which is coming out in October. Breathe Out is the lead single and continues to blend Richard’s r&b instincts with Zahn’s expansive, atmospheric arrangements.
https://dawnrichard.bandcamp.com/album/quiet-in-a-world-full-of-noise
American R&B singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Fana Hues describes the process of working through grief on her third album Moth as ““denying the fact that it happened, turning it into shameful pettiness, self-reflection, re-grounding myself and acceptance, and then letting it go”. The drums on Gone Again stand out – purposeful and intricate – with Hues’ airy vocal soaring majestically above them.
Apologies for my extended break – it was pre-Glastonbury/Glastonbury/post-Glastonbury, so I couldn’t really engage with anything else. But now I’m back! Lots of interesting albums out recently, but this opening track from Omar Apollo’s new album God Said No is the one I’ve had on loop. So while everyone else is losing their shit about Pedro, we can listen to this low-key banger.
John Glacier has already released one of the best EPs of the year, and has now announced a second, Duppy Gun, alongside its lead single Steady As I Am. Lo-fi, hazy beats and Glacier’s icy delivery abound, and while it’s perhaps not quite as startlingly brilliant as the tracks on Like A Ribbon, it’s still very good. Looking forward to the EP which lands 20 June.
This came out last year, but I’m highlighting it now as a) I’ve only just listened to it and it’s brilliant and b) he’s playing in my hometown next week, and is the first musical act I’ve been genuinely excited about here for ages. Significant serpentwithfeet vibes. And he’s playing in a library! Madness. More of this kind of mournful electronic-indie R&B, please.
Laryssa Kim’s new album Contezza is described in the press materials as “a crossroad where Brian Eno, Enya, and Erykah Badu all meet”, and somewhat surprisingly that’s not all bullshit hyperbole. Singing in French, English and Italian over lush electronic backdrops, Kim creates a deeply engaging atmosphere that moves from romantic to alienating and back again, often in the space of a single track.
Ever wondered what a cross between Joji, Omar Apollo and Paul Simon would sound like? If yes; you, my friend, are in luck!
Eriks de Casier announces her forthcoming album Still with new single Lucky, which treads a familiar but nevertheless enjoyable path: warm chords, stripped-back, evocative breaks and plaintive, romantic vocals. The most interesting part of the announcement though is the list of collaborators Casier produces on the album, namely They Hate Change, Shygirl and Blood Orange. Still is out 21 February, so I don’t even need to spend too much time imagining what that will sound like.
Yesterday marked the 10 year anniversary (!!!) of the release of FKA Twigs’ staggeringly brilliant EP2. Produced by Arca, it went on to ‘inspire’ an entire wave of artists attempting to replicate its stripped-back yet immensely rich and impactful sound. Very few matched its creativity and sheer take-your-breath-away originality, and none surpassed it, arguably even Twigs herself (although many would disagree with me on that last point). A decade later it still represent a high point, both musically and culturally, and perhaps most importantly, open my own eyes and ears to a world to which I was previously completely ignorant.
If you’d like to know the specific meaning behind Tinashe’s recent low-key r&b banger Talk To Me Nice, Genius has a video just for you. If, like me, you’re just here for the breezy vibes, she has you covered. Also: is that a Roni Size sample at the start?? I’m calling it. Taken from her new EP BB/ANG3L which landed last week.
The Predatory Wasp 