Tag: R&B

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New Music

Dizzy Fae – NO GMO Mixtape

Hailing from the mean streets of Minneapolis, Dizzy Fae has released her second project titled, NO GMO Mixtape. Fae brands herself as a “pop” artist, but this album combines elements of R&B and electronic music to form tracks that could populate a genre of their own. Wonky, dark, heavily-processed production on songs like Company, Huu R Uu, Solo, and Now N’ Later is contrasted by light and airy tracks with dreamy vocal chops and synths, like in Lifestyle and Gut Talk. At points, the album has a nostalgic and retro feel, with 80’s-style synthesizers populating much of the instrumentation. The album doesn’t shy away from an analog sound, however, with beautiful acoustic sounds making up the roster on tracks like Pink. Every track is a surprise, and no two songs sound similar. If broken down, this album’s contents would be just as comfortable in a DJ’s set at an underground club as they would in a coffe-house R&B performance. This might be my only “complaint” with this album – the fact that there isn’t much cohesiveness with the project & it seems disjointed at times. Still a good album nonetheless, and I look forward to more from Dizzy Fae.




Categories
New Music

GoldLink – Diaspora

GoldLink, the artist behind one of the most recognizable flows in hip-hop, has returned with his new project, Diaspora. The otherwise well-made album starts off on a low note, with Ari Pen-Smith’s comically bad hook on Joke Ting. However, the star-studded roster of other featured artists makes up for this lapse in artistic judgment, with A-list talent like Khalid, Pusha T, Tyler, The Creator, and Wiz Kid delivering fantastic verses that do nothing but add value to their respective tracks. As evidenced by his previous discography, GoldLink is at home on up-tempo four-on-the-floor beats like in U Say, but he shows his versatility by flowing over a plethora of beat styles throughout the album. These beats borrow from several cultural inspirations, with American-style trap bangers like Rumble following tracks reminiscent of afro-Caribbean dancehall like Yard, and others like Zulu Screams and Spanish Song drawing from African and Latin music, respectively. The refrain “no bad vibes gonna enter my yard” perfectly sums up the overall feel of the album, with this project’s release coming just in time for summer. These tracks will be played at cookouts and pool parties alike, and should absolutely have a spot somewhere on your summer playlist. 


Categories
New Music

Jai Paul – Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones)

Elusive and influential producer Jai Paul has returned following a lengthy absence from the spotlight. His hiatus came after the 2013 leaking of his debut album that was to follow his breakout demos titled BTSTU and Jasmine, which received widespread acclaim and praise. On this formerly leaked, newly released album, Paul gives listeners a glimpse into the bright future of “pop” music. Combining elements of numerous genres into his production, including electronic, R&B, hip-hop, jazz, and funk, Paul weaves unique webs of sound unlike anything in existence. He is a sidechain aficionado with a powerful kick cutting through most layers of each track and driving the beat and rhythm of each song. Synth breakdowns, stuttering plucks, and harmonious layered vocals like those included in 100,000, Baby Beat, Desert River, BTSTU, and others define the sound of the album and are likely to shape a generation of pop music that follows. The fact that a majority of the tracks on this project are considered “Unfinished” or a “Demo” in the eyes of Paul speaks to his raw talent and songwriting/producing ability. Jai Paul is absolutely a force to be reckoned with and I, for one, am ecstatic he’s back.


Categories
New Music

Raveena – Lucid

Indian-American songstress Raveena has released her debut album Lucid. This soulful record is a fantastic follow-up to the singer’s well-received 2017 EP, Shanti. Raveena has shown incredible potential on this project with a near-flawless vocal performance across all 12 tracks. She flows smoothly over instrumentals full of warm synths, mellow drum beats, and the occasional psychedelic guitar chord. Each song immerses the listener in a location crafted by Raveena herself, with tracks like Stone setting the scene of a rainy Sunday morning, and others like Bloom eliciting feelings of walking through a park on a Summer day. On Mama, the songwriter contemplates about her mother’s life before giving birth to her in a unique and touching track released before the album on Mother’s Day. The sole feature of the album comes from Hope Tala on Floating, her voice complimenting Raveena’s incredibly well to form one of the most enjoyable tracks on the album. The album ends on a high note with Petal, where the beat consists solely of an ethereal vocal loop, a synth, and an intermittent reese bass. The vocal loop repeats the word “high”, creating a mesmerizing refrain that drives the song and closes out the project.


Categories
New Music

DUCKWRTH – THE FALLING MAN

Artist of multiple mediums and LA native DUCKWRTH has released his second studio album, THE FALLING MAN. The eight-song project begins with a sultry track with passionate vocals quickly turning into a rap verse that sets the tone for the rest of the album. FALL BACK wastes no time in picking up the energy with distorted 808’s and a fiery verse that fades into a Frank Ocean-esque refrain calling on the listener to “settle down”. NOBODY FALLS is a fantastically produced song alternating between a bouncy bassline and an ethereal vocal performance from Kiana Ledé. This is the first of two tracks produced by electronic musician Medasin, the second being the next song, LOVE IS LIKE A MOSHPIT, a song with a self-explanatory refrain and a feature from Rico Nasty that is far more melodic than her typical abrasive sound. SOPRANO follow suit with most songs on the album by surprising the listener. Starting off light and airy, the track suddenly shifts into an upbeat, mosh-pit worthy rap song. Legendary producer Mr. Carmack also graces the album on a penultimate track full of rock star vocals and fuzzy guitars. Overall a fantastic and diverse sophomore project for the rising star.