The Predatory Wasp
SAULT’s Acts of Faith was originally released as a free download back in July 2024 before a surprise official release on Christmas day last month. I missed both of these releases, so I’m sharing the beautiful opening track now for everyone else whose fingers is a firmly on the pulse as mine.
I was going to post a 17 minute drone piece from Pefkin (which is really excellent and you should definitely listen to it) but decided this, from Qendresa’s new album Londra, was more “Friday vibes”.
Leon Bridges’ voice is indescribably lush, and seems to belong to a completely different time. When he sings the hook on That’s What I Love, the stand-out track from his new album, Leon, everything else just melts away and you can ignore the trite, saccharine lyrics and even forgive him the ill-advised spoken word section about “the way the street smells after the rain”. In most other people’s hands this would be unbearable, but he makes it sublime.
RIP summer! It was fun while it lasted, but we’re done with you, and with the first Friday of Autumn we can welcome a load of interesting new album releases. Top of the pile is Pale Jay’s Low End Love Songs, possibly my most anticipated album of the year and which starts with the most glorious opening track I’ve heard in ages. Plus, it’s just in time for my birthday! Thanks, Jay. ❤
JPEGMAFIA may be too creative for his own good. Often his tracks have more ideas in them than entire albums from other artists. Sometimes this results of works of genius, at others it makes his music hard to keep up with; an overwhelming assault of samples, glitches, changes of direction and genre clashes. For me, his new album I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU is too much like hard work, but it does have its moments. either on or off the drugs is vibey, soulful bliss.: just don’t expect the rest of the album to sound anything like it.
https://jpegmafia.bandcamp.com/album/i-lay-down-my-life-for-you
It’s Friday, it’s blazing outside, and there’s new music from Pale Jay about hanging out in his garden. Life is good! Taken from his upcoming LP Low End Love Songs which will be released later this summer.
I’m not entirely sure how many Helado Negro albums there have been – maybe 10? – but I do know they just keep getting better. His latest PHASOR is “an homage to going outside again” and a “returning to life record” concerned with beautifully evocative, hopeful imagery like remembering what the sun feels like and letting it warm your skin. I saw some early spring flowers out the other day, and putting aside what this ultimately means regarding the rapid warming of the planet and ultimate death of everyone on it… it was nice; just like this album!
The only description I can find online for Kam Theory is her Soundcloud bio which reads: “sound bender | the vibe known as Kam Theory”. But maybe that’s all anyone needs to know.
Each year there are a few albums released I put on pretty much every week, indefinitely, even though there are others I actually prefer. They tend to be relatively calm, accessible and unlikely to upset anyone too much, see: recent LPs by Thee Sacred Souls, Lady Wray, etc. I was hoping Cleo Sol’s latest would be added to this list, however overall it’s just a little too smooth and syrupy for me. In small doses though it’s great, and Things Will Get Better is a very enjoyable vibe.
A Pale Jay track randomly came up on a Spotify radio playlist I was listening to the other day and now his new album Bewilderment is one of my favourite things I’ve heard this year. A jazz vocalist and pianist, he wrote, recorded, and produced all songs on the album, except for ‘By The Lake’, which is a collaboration with labelmates Okonski. It’s so good. See? Spotify is great and in no way evil.
The Predatory Wasp 