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Best Neo Soul Music Blog

Malo Daniels gave indie Americana pop-rock a soul injection with ‘Waiting for Roses’

Posted on 15 February 2022

After the successful launch of his debut single, Down, Out and Up, in 2022, the singer-songwriter, Malo Daniels, proved that he was worthy of a place on listeners’ radars with the launch of his debut album, Waiting for Roses, which fuses pop, soul, rock and Americana – to swoon-worthy effect.

With a team of Nashville musicians behind him and acclaimed producer, Dallas Dudley, polishing the album, Waiting for Roses is a triumph of romanticism, sun-soaked talent and powerfully mature songwriting. The title single is as hooky as Faith by George Michael, as indulgently indie as Kurt Vile and as soulfully compelling as Prince’s sweetest serenades. With the warm over-driven guitars greeting the horn stabs and Daniels’ honeyed vocal timbre, you’d be hard-pressed finding a track that takes you higher than this unadulterated feat of romanticism and longingly panoramic expression.

Waiting for Roses is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Aliza Li needs the mind more than the body on her soul-healing new release, ‘Mirror Me’

Posted on 11 February 2022

Taken from her new delightful 4-track EP ‘Soul X Sushi‘, Aliza Li follows on from the huge success of her previous single from 2020 called ‘7th Grace Complex‘, with the stunning eye-opener ‘Mirror Me‘.

Aliza Li is an Atlanta, Georgia-based RnB solo singer-songwriter who blends in lusciously projected vocals that are simmering in beautiful treats filled with soul and jazz.

“Soul x Sushi encompasses all aspects of what true love really is, from euphoria to heartbreak or whatever that means to each individual but whatever that means to you, make sure that sh*t comes from the soul.” ~  Aliza Li

It’s so rare to have your heart be so compelled to shudder with so much love when you turn on a song for the first time. Aliza Li has that power within her grasp and she is absolutely incredible here as she unlocks the door and shows us how she is feeling right now. Needing much more than a one night fling, this is an intellectually in-tune artist who truly gets what she needs in order to succeed romantically and spiritually.

‘Mirror Me‘ from Atlanta, Georgia-based RnB/soul/jazz solo artist Aliza Li is a single that asks her lover to be patient as she finds out who she really is in this rather odd planet we reside in. Her vocals are stunning and the lyrics are so descriptive of her mental path right now, as she looks for that real connection with a kind soul that shall set her free forever.

Bathe inside this glorious vocalist on Spotify and see more via the IG music page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Maria Manuel takes us to her Happy Place in her soul-pop single

Posted on 8 February 2022

“Happy Place” is the intensely soulful latest single from the up and coming London-based pop singer Maria Manuel. With the opening lyrics, “it was pretty when I thought I could have it all, it was pretty when I thought I could do it all”, you’re instantly disarmed by the vulnerable confession of previous naivety.

What few people prepare you for is how much growth can hurt when we detach ourselves from our innocence and fantasy-like expectations of the world. Maria Manuel softens the blow with the sincerity of her balladic RnB pop vocals and the minimalist yet consumingly resounding score of soft RnB instrumentals against orchestral strings. Happy Place is a track that you will want to delve into time after time for its consoling power and its minor-key earworm potential. You could listen to the radio all day and still never encounter an artist with as much soulful presence as Manuel.

You can check out Happy Place for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud and Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Tel Aviv’s latest luminary, ViRa has released her jazzy soul-pop debut EP, Non-Fiction.

Posted on 31 January 2022

The Tel Aviv-based singer-songwriter ViRa has released her highly anticipated debut EP, Non-Fiction; a collection of songs composed to become unmistakably yours. The jazzy nuances in the soulful pop textures retain their elegance right the way through her raw soundscapes, especially in the standout single, Traveling Face, which she uses to confess that home is not a place to her. The sonic signature in Traveling Face almost finds the middle ground between Phoebe Bridgers, Amy Winehouse, Nora Jones and Adele but all reminiscences are extremely fleeting in the presence of the artist’s distinction.

The singer-songwriter has been writing songs since the age of 8, along with the influence of her musical parents; she also took influence from the likes of King Crimson (that would explain the artfully entrancing elements) and Coldplay for her authentically ambitious sound.

Traveling Face is now available to stream on Spotify along with ViRa’s debut EP.

Review by Amelia Vandergast
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Make listening to Nav’s Hook’s funk-infused pop-rock single, New Beginnings, a New Year Resolution

Posted on 27 January 2022

After making us fall hook, line, and sinker with his previous releases, the indie singer-songwriter Nav’s Hook has released the poppy funk-rock track, New Beginnings. The prospect of this new year bringing good new beginnings has understandably left many people cynical under the weight they are still carrying the weight of the previous two years. By the time the chorus hits, that cynicism will fall victim to the strident optimism in the groove-filled high-vibe track.

When the perception-shifting introspection in an artist’s previous releases leaves you stoked to hear the intellectual gold in their new releases, it’s a clear sign that they’re a sharp cut above the rest. We will never get tired of Hook’s sound that constantly evolves around his unpredictable creative vision and lyrics that seek to pull the light from the dark. Many of us felt like we were shunted into a pitch-black 2022; tracks like New Beginnings prove that the light at the end of the tunnel isn’t always a train. Sometimes, it’s a visionary artist sharing his hard-fought-for optimism.

The official lyric video to New Beginnings premiered on January 13th; you can check it out for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Good Vibes: Xaver is at his best on sensual new single ‘See Through’

Posted on 25 January 2022

Showing us his true love for music from his travels all over, Xaver takes us on a daydream-filled journey on his latest cruise-through single that has you feeling a bit naughty on ‘See Through‘.

Xaver (pronounced: ks-ah-fur) is a 23-year old Californian alt-RnB solo singer-songwriter who skillfully mixes in soothing neo-soul and mellow hip-hop into his creations.

Taken from his debut 5-track EP called ‘Frame Work‘, you feel that Xaver is a truly classy artist who is inspired by many genres and makes a sound that puts you into a calm state of mind. His vocals have you blushing at times, with honest lyrics that lead you into this picture he has eloquently painted for us to glide into.

”My goal with this music is to make something that makes people tune into their emotions and feel more connected to those of others. Whether you hear something in my songs that makes you sad or happy, I hope that you feel something, because to experience these thoughts and feelings is our job as humans. All I want to do is show that it’s ok to do so.” ~ Xaver

‘See Through‘ from the California, USA-based indie alt-RnB solo artist Xaver, is one of those late-night playlist tracks you put on with your partner when you feel like taking things up a notch. With a smoothly projected ambience that has you feeling like lighting up some candles to add to the mood, this is a pacifying track that will have you beaming brightly and feeling that everything is going to be okay again.

Listen to this soulful new single on Spotify and see more on his IG page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

FrayGo brings the ‘LOVE’ in his latest single, featuring JST. PRAH

Posted on 25 January 2022

Jamaica-born, Maryland, US-based artist FrayGo (Kerzan McKenzie) is known for pushing the envelope with his impassioned sound and boundless experimentalism. His latest single, LOVE, proves just how all-in he is when it comes to both expression and affection.

He didn’t leave his hometown roots far behind in the RnB-laced track that delivers smooth harmonies in arresting cadence and full-bodied instrumentals that leave plenty of room for ample soul in their progressions.

It’s tracks like LOVE that serve as the perfect reminder that finding passion is only the start of what is often a cat and mouse game where we’re contending with our desires and insecurities as neither of them is afraid to pull punches. You’d be seriously hard-pressed to find an artist delivering such nuance in their lyrics as FrayGo. He goes beyond the superficial to pay ode to a love that you can actually believe exists. Through the power of his humility and candour; we actually have an RnB-inspired track that encompasses true love where no one is perfect and no one is toxic. Instead, devils and angels wear the same faces under cupid’s bow and FrayGo’s witty wordplay.

LOVE is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Indigo Indiibabi lets her soul drive in her RnB single, Automatic

Posted on 20 January 2022

Up and coming RnB artist Indigo Indiibabi penned an old school serenade for her latest single, Automatic, which takes the unlikeliest romantic hallmark and allows it to become a vehicle for her affection for the person behind the wheel in their romance.

Old school and new school collide as the contemporary and atmospheric beats set a sultry atmosphere and Indigo Indiibabi’s gorgeously layered vocals bring the old school soul. Despite the mellow textures, there’s a panoramic feel to the dynamism that is laid out in this shamelessly impassioned release that wears its heart on its sleeve.

Check out Indigo Indiibabi’s latest single, Automatic, on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Daniela helps us take the weight of our post-truth reality with her latest smoky RnB Jazz single, Lies.

Posted on 20 January 2022

In a time when words are a means to an end, and the truth is an inconvenience, it feels even sweeter to have the up and coming London-based singer-songwriter Daniela on the airwaves with her latest single, Lies.

The Italian-born independent artist started her vocal training in Milan with the soprano icon, Annamaria Calciolari, before she gained a master’s degree at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.

From the first mellifluous jazzy groove Lies affirms that every second dedicated to honing in on her craft was well invested. Lies is powerful enough to vindicate anyone dealing with the frustration following deception, soulful enough to console and debonair enough to let you taste the smoke in an old school jazz bar.

With her debut EP in the pipeline and due to drop in spring 2022, she is definitively one to watch.

Lies is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Love persists in Demi Jordanae’s RnB breakup track, Smell Like You

Posted on 20 January 2022

After starting her songwriter career at the age of 16, the up and coming RnB artist, Demi Jordanae, has well and truly come into her creative own; from DIY introvert to bold soul-singer, she’s found her distinctive voice and plenty of fans in the process.

Her latest stripped-back and serene track, Smell Like You, provides a mellow atmosphere to slip in while you drink in the confessionally expressive lyrics that explore the bitter emotions that transpire at the outset of a breakup and you’re struggling to come to terms or even imagine a post-relationship reality. Between the vulnerability, demure harmony and lyrical poetry, you just can’t help warm to Demi Jordanae’s vocal timbre. Save a space on your radar.

Smell Like You is now available on Spotify. Or, you catch the official lyric video via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast