The Lexington Stretch is an absolute treat for the ears and the soul, soothing the energy in the room with gritty yet smooth blues melodies, seductive harmonies, and songwriting that digs right into the core of the human experience in a poetic and completely engaging way.
Albums
Kicking off with the explosive blues-rock swagger of Killing Heroes, Initial Mass leave their mark pretty quickly on this latest album, fusing the raw rock energy of bands like The Black Keys with a more traditional, performance-based rock hook and rise-up to it.
Artist and rapper Produc more than delivers throughout this 17 track extravaganza that is his latest album. Fusing eclectic, often jazz and soul-soaked ambiances, with an intentional, calmly confident rap style, PRODUC Presents 1970 fills the room with simple good vibes and compelling story-lines.
That’s the beauty of creative, passionately composed instrumental music – there’s very little guidance other than the feelings the music gives you or the memories it ignites. With Everlasting, it’s likely that the music will take certain listeners to equally specific yet individually unique places. A wonderful album, absolutely worth the time it takes to let it play.
Charles Ryan Davis has mastered the art of turning acoustic simplicity into an absolute performance – emotional and captivating, brilliantly skillful. A live show would be superb, though sadly Charles Ryan Davis doesn’t perform. In a way, this makes this playlist all the more enjoyable – it feels like a rare appearance, a one-of-a-kind chance to escape into something truly unique.
Leading with that same simple swagger and calm sense of awareness and intelligence as rappers such as Homeboy Sandman, A.C.E introduces himself as a clearly capable and compelling new artist, with a classic musicality yet a conceptually fresh approach to writing.
Some Kind Of Voodoo opens up the playlist and kicks things off with a bang, seeing the band fuse a structurally complex and somewhat grunge-like aura with a melodic development and leading vocal that feel way more prog-rock and performance-based than anything else.
Stephon Foster’s writing throughout this project is decidedly emotional, beginning with the unmistakable Boy, I Quit, delicacy and regret intertwine as Foster pours truth and soul into the process. The finish, production-wise, really lets the intricate nature of these songs stand as tall as they possibly can.
A conceptual and consistent presentation of deep-running artistry. What better way to spend your remaining time than to create from the depths of the soul and without a single restraint or concern outside of what needs to be expressed?
Color and Contrast is a really strong collection of rock tracks, making for a playlist that feels something like a greatest hits album. There’s a striking sense of identity and confidence to Underwood’s delivery, and his songwriting is easily captivating and often familiar enough that the songs feel like slept on classics.
Ease My PAiN in full is an album with plenty of personality and a uniquely expressive approach to modern hip hop on the whole. An extended introduction to an interesting and consistently honest, open artist.
UK band Senses Reeling are set to release their full-length album Time’s Still Now on June 14th. It’s a project that showcases a fairly unique approach to pop-rock, often leading with an almost acoustic backbone, spacious soundscapes, and increasingly impressive songwriting.