There’s a certain passionate depth to the writing, and the featured singer handles and presents this with an air of realness. Behind the vocal though, the soundscape is decidedly complex, unexpectedly detailed and multi-layered to the point that you can pick up something new with each revisit.
Singles
17th Letter is an artist with a clear understanding of crafting an ambiance and a moment both musically and vocally with his releases. Kawasaki introduces precisely that style of creativity in an instant, slowly building a soundscape around its listeners that’s all at once contemporary and calm.
Digging deep into precisely the story-line implied by the title, Thank God You Cheated holds nothing back – regret and betrayal roam free throughout the lyrics, the verses in particular detailing both the heartbreak and the desire to move forwards.
Gangsta rap has taken something of a backseat in recent years, thanks to the rise of mumble rap and other sub-genres of the hip hop world. Strong A.R.M works hard to reignite that spark. His voice stands immensely tall on this record, the verses reach out thanks to a spacious and lightly synth-washed backdrop, so your focus is on the words – the journey, the bars, the calm yet intentional delivery.
Fusing a fairly retro, ukulele-driven soundscape, and a delicate, distant vocal melody, with a heavy bass-line and a crisp, contemporary rap flow, the song is anything but familiar, and yet it makes perfect sense just the way that it is.
I think this song is quite brilliant. It’s entertaining, layered, engaging, wears its empty heart on its sleeve and is all the more powerful the more you think about what you’ve just heard.
Seeing Hooks By: DJ reach even further with his uninhibited creativity, this collaboration with singer Danielle Hollobaugh makes for a smooth, shoulder-swaying alternative hip hop track with equal parts delicacy and weight.
A lovely lullaby of country pop, sung gently and with its heart on its sleeve. It’s grown up, and measured, but also moving and emotional – as the honesty behind the piece glows through.
As existential crises go, this is a tasty slab of Scandinavian-flavoured electro-pop with heft and emotion, wrapped up in some committed vocals and a healthy dose of intellect.
Cruel Mistress is a great piece of work and pays homage to its musical forebears in all the right ways. It’s recorded in a timeless and sympathetic way, and lives and dies by the trials and tribulations of our companion for the journey – Scarlett Siren.
A stylishly retro beat meets with a uniquely raspy and rhythmic vocal on this latest release from hip hop’s RichPutt. The soundscape in particular grabs you from the offset, the crisp and clean finish fuses well with those classic details and layers that take you back to a simpler time.
Tracks B kicks in with intention and grit on this latest freestyle. Captured live during an interview at Highly Unique Radio in Atlanta, the performance manages to captivate and significantly exceed expectations as Tracks B flaunts both his story and his unwavering flow in the moment.