A colourful and fairly classic hip hop vibe meets with an uplifting and melodic soundscape, decidedly and intentionally retro, reminiscent of the nineties, and creating precisely those beach-side vibes and the rhythmic embrace designed to get you feeling good.
USA
Chris Nole manages to captivate throughout this project, in the same instance as paying a more-than worthy tribute to the blues and its 100+ year history.
An achingly poignant lyric that (sadly) still holds true today, By My Silence essentially details how it’s wholly possible to be complicit in awful (or just unfair) things coming to pass by remaining fearful, passive and silent about them. It’s a lovely version of a melancholy-drenched tune.
Rico exercises a simple love for the genre, a fairly creative and surprisingly dreamlike backdrop accompanies a seemingly carefree, intimate vocal delivery that suits the upfront nature of the lyrics.
Savesomeone’s voice offers a fitting level of calm and quiet confidence. There’s honesty in the lyrics, vulnerability even, and this, combined with a notably minimalist backdrop, means the performance manages to connect well.
A pristine and professional soundscape creates a trip-hop-like ambiance, a peaceful moment of escapism. Alongside this you get Kenni’s seemingly free-style vocal melody, meandering through the layers, offering personal insight & contemporary references that often feel well-rooted in modern hip hop.
While the title is a nod to modern life, the phrasing, the tech, the search for understanding, what you’ll ultimately find within is a country-rock, jazz-piano-soaked classic – an explosion of organic instrumentation, high energy and nostalgia; enough so to take you way back to bar fights and big bands.
The love story is tried and tested, known by most and represented vastly in music, but in the case of (this love is) eternal, the whole thing has been given a new lease of life – a new angle, a new manner of expression.
It sounds like an intentional anthem to me: full of aspirational language, flourishes of gospel ad-libbing and a choir of supporting voices adding warming colours that bloom into the arrangement as the piece progresses. Come on, America – you’d better do as it says.
This music is, by all accounts, the sort of near-trip-hop, meditative experience deep thinkers crave for a little calm & insight. What makes it stand out though, is the organic nature of the instrumentation, and the carefully selected structures that feed certain moments & flickers of soul & passion into the process.
Voss Soss keeps gangsta rap alive with dark bars and a haunting yet mellow beat for this latest release.
The sweet orchestration of the track; the masterful blending of strings and acoustic guitars is reminiscent of singer-songwriters like Boo Hewerdine, erstwhile of The Bible. The percussion elements are a very welcome addition, too – adding a little drive to proceedings – but the major feeling here is one of reflection and contemplation. Dive in and have a soak.