Tag: r&b

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Zenizen, Helado Negro – Drought

New York-based Zenizen’s new album P.O.C Proof Of Concept came out last week, and it is a hidden gem if ever there was one. Sitting somewhere between r&b, soul and experimental, it is at times hard hitting and immediate, others meditative, with warm chords and soothing melodies leading the way, as is the case on Drought. This track in particular actually came out back in April, but it’s currently sitting at eleven plays on YouTube, (eleven!), so like me, there’s a fair chance you missed it.

https://zenizenzenizen.bandcamp.com/album/p-o-c-proof-of-concept

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Alamay & Omar Cassius – Guidance

Alamay and Omar Cassuis’s new EP How to Swim sees the collaborators showcase an evolution in their sound, with themes of past relationships, lockdown and their musical journey to date explored over the course of six tracks. Silky smooth and seductive, Guidance is probably the pick of the lot, but the entire EP is definitely worth your time.

https://alamay.bandcamp.com/album/how-to-swim

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Steve Lacy – Cody Freestyle

Steve Lacy’s name looms large in my consciousness, without me knowing very much about him at all. He’s someone I feel I would really be into if I paid proper attention, and yet his last album completely passed me by, to the extent that I wasn’t really sure what to expect from his new LP Gemini Rights, but was pretty sure I would get something out of it. And I did! Especially the tracks Mercury – which was released as a single last month – and Cody Freestyle, which is big and melodramatic and brilliant.

https://www.instagram.com/steve.lacy

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Brent Faiyaz – ROLE MODEL

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 20: Brent Faiyaz attends a celebration of the Lola bag, hosted by Burberry & Riccardo Tisci on April 20, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Burberry)

Brent Faiyaz’s sprawling new album WASTELAND came out today, and there’s a lot to digest, including features from an impressive range of artists – Drake, Tyler, The Creator, Alicia Keys etc – and a skit-driven narrative (remember skits?) about a cheating Chris/Brent that ends in about as bleak a fashion as possible. But arguably some of its finest moments are when the attention is squarely on Faiyaz, like ROLE MODEL, which places his extraordinary voice front and centre and cuts right to the emotional core of what he’s about as an artist.

https://www.instagram.com/brentfaiyaz

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070 Shake – Purple Walls

Despite 070 Shake’s Modus Vivendi being my very favourite album of 2020, the fact that she released the follow up, You Can’t Kill Me, last week completely passed me by. You would have thought that sitting in front of a computer and hunting for new music for hours every single day would prevent this kind of glaring oversight, but apparently not. Anyway, it’s here, and it’s fucking great. I could have picked any one of at least half a dozen tracks to highlight, but let’s go for Purple Walls as it has that perfect balance of crushingly hard production and plaintive vocals. Peerlessly brilliant, as ever.

https://www.instagram.com/070shake

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Music

George Riley, Vegyn – Jealousy

Smoooooooooooooooooooooooooooth vibes for Friday fulfilment.

https://plz.ffm.to/jealousy

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bloodcat – summer rain (prod. geloガザ)

Dark, Joji-adjacent r&b vibes on the latest single from US artist bloodcat, with geloガザ on production duties blending a plaintive piano line with crisp, trappy beats and bloodcat’s warped vocal, with satisfyingly nihilistic results.

https://soundcloud.com/bloodcatbloodcat

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Yayoyanoh – One 4 Me

One 4 Me is the first track on Yayoyanoh’s self-titled debut album, commencing 30 or so minutes of some of the silkiest, most atmospheric R&B I’ve heard for some time. Laid back flows and reverb abound, so if you’re into that kind of vibe you’re in for a treat.

https://soundcloud.com/yayoyanoh

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Mariah The Scientist – Church

Mariah The Scientist’s brilliant album RY RY WOLRD was criminally overlooked in every end of year list in 2021 – the ones I read at least – which is a real shame, especially as most publications seemed to have a soft spot for other, lesser contemporary R&B offerings (I’m looking at you Heaux Tales!) Anyway, she’s now back with a new EP Buckles Laboratories Presents: The Intermission that opens with this vintage cut. I hope her lack of plaudits is grating on her less than it is on me.

https://www.instagram.com/mariahthescientist

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Lady Wray – I Do

Lady Wray released her long-awaited album Piece Of Me last week, and thankfully it’s a banger, the only drawback being that if you’ve kept up with the run of singles over the last couple of years, you’ve already heard half of it, including a lot of the best tracks. There’s still some previously unreleased gold in there though like opener I Do, and if you’re completely new to her music you’re in for an intensely soulful treat.

https://ladywray.bandcamp.com/album/piece-of-me