Browsing Tag

Contemporary Soul

Matt Brown will etch his way into your consciousness with his latest soul pop serenade, Everyday

Posted on 30 November 2023

Matt Brown’s neo-pop single Everyday is a soulful serenade that lingers long after the last note has faded. This contemporary crooner’s offering etches upon the listener’s consciousness with a calligraphic eloquence scarcely seen in the internet era of music as the euphonic depth of the production swells with oceanic propensities; each wave of sound carrying with it a quiescent surge of sweet beguile.

Everyday stands as a testament to the potency of razor-sharp songwriting chops as Brown’s musicality and craftsmanship are undeniably exhibited to showcase a command of sonic storytelling which captures the complexities of passion and how it can weigh heavy on the soul.

As the founder of the Soulfam Collective and a full-time musician, Matt Brown’s fluency across various instruments and styles imbues his music with an uninhibited expression; rather than marring his sound with loyalty to one genre, he teases a smorgasbord of style into his sound.

Everyday confirms Matt Brown’s place in the pantheon of artists who are not just creating music but are also moulding experiences for their listeners. With each release, including this latest gem, Brown continues to grow his presence and influence, becoming a staple in the spaces where soul and contemporary pop converge.

Everyday hit the airwaves on November 17: stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The San Diego Emissary of Soul, Sedríque, Held No Prisoners in His RnB Pop Hit, Sick Of

Posted on 22 August 2023

Taken from his ingeniously titled debut LP, Seduction, the standout single, Sick Of, which has racked up 50k streams on Spotify to date, is the perfect introduction to Sedríque’s fiery brand of contemporary RnB pop.

Sick Of captures the raw, messy, and visceral emotions that follow a toxic relationship and an even more toxic breakup. Some songwriters write what they think their audiences want to hear, and others stay committed to melodising harsh truths, Sedríque well and truly put himself in the latter camp with the soulful vitriol in Sick Of, which will be a hit with any fans of Chris Brown and the Weeknd. The razor-sharp rhythmics of the lyrical blows against the steady tempo of the soul-heady instrumentals created intoxicating aural alchemy that you will want to intoxicate yourself with time and time again.

After finding his voice at the age of three when he started to perform solos in the church choir and learning how to accompany himself on piano by the age of ten, the singer-songwriter’s teeth were well and truly cut by the time he focused on creating one of the most seminal RnB pop records of 2023.

Check out the Radio Edit of Sick Of by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Rene Bonet just wants to love us in their latest single

Posted on 22 April 2021

Rene Bonet’s new single ‘I Just Wanna Love You’ is a deliciously sexy, sultry little slice of R&B Hip Hop in the style of Missy Elliot or Erykah Badu, chilled out and relaxed yet losing none of its energy for that.

Poetic lyrics mix with a storytelling flow and an intimate, confessional feel; it’s soulful at the same time as having that mix of stylistic and cultural influences which gives music that individual, authentic feeling. There’s a delicious cadence to her delivery, a delicate use of rhyme – or ‘not-rhyme’ which gives her songwriting a unique quality, conveying emotion and spirit at the same time as entertaining. You can hear the influence of producer Alvin Speights, with whom Bonet has worked; it’s a masterful, well-produced, single.

You can hear ‘I Just Want To Love You’ on YouTube; follow Rene Bonet here or on Twitter.

Review by Alex Holmes

FordOhhFord gives us dreamy Sunday Morning vibes with their single, ‘Last Breath’, featuring Ria706

Posted on 12 April 2021
FordOhhFord

FordOhhFord saved the best for last with their RnB soul album, ‘Girl Problems 2’ which dropped on Valentine’s Day. The concluding single ‘Last Breath’, featuring vocals from Ria706 is a testament to the up and coming artist’s ability to create a vibe and allow it to swallow you whole.

Last Breath is a soft jazzy declaration of love that may play with some cliches within the lyrics, but thanks to the intimacy of this stripped back and minimalist affair, the sincerity overrides the familiarity of the sentiment.

Girl Problems 2 is now available to stream and purchase in full via apple music.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Amba Tremain gets smooth, soulful, and heartfelt with new single ‘Honestly’

Posted on 22 March 2021

South Coast soulstress and Sofar Sounds regular Amba Tremain mixed R’n’B and jazzy soul on her brand new second single ‘Honestly’, an old school classic earworm of love, longing, and loss which showcases Tremain’s superb rich, soulful voice over shimmering guitar chords, echoey drums, and slow, grooving bass. It’s a perfect track to show off that timbre, the sparse instrumentation allowing plenty of space for Tremain’s vocal to sit front and centre, warm and powerful and wrapped around the music.

There’s obvious Motown influences in here – James Brown, Aretha, maybe a little Irma Franklin too, but there’s more contemporary parts too; Joss Stone, Amy Winehouse, Alicia Keys, or Beverly Knight. It’s sublime and beautiful, heartfelt and honest, and it bodes very well for Amba Tremain in 2021.

You can hear ‘Honestly’ on Spotify, and follow Amba Tremain on Facebook and Instagram.

Review by Alex Holmes

Shojon has released their salaciously smooth RnB Pop single ‘Theorem’

Posted on 31 December 2020

A trappy R&B-styled mix of pop and soul, with some delicious sampled guitar lines and a salaciously smooth vocal from South London native Shojon – from his forthcoming project ‘Greenwich Views’ – is a sleek little mid-tempo track, polished and velvety with plenty to showcase Shojon’s chilled flow and urban, emo-rap style.

Shojon’s already making waves in the South London scene, following collaborations with Lady Leshurr, Maxsta, and Nolay, a performance at the O2 Academy in Islington, and over 150k Spotify streams; now, with a concept video directed by Craig Heathcote – a man well-known for producing storytelling ‘real-life’ videos giving a voice to marginalised and LGBTQ+ communities in London. Shojon’s ‘Theorem’ takes a walk through part love-story, part mental health journey, the video itself showing a modern day cupid balancing the emotions of those he comes across on a Greenwich walk. Shojon currently works with the mental health charity Mind to raise awareness for mental health issues; ‘Theorem’ is a cracker of a track that should go a long way to doing that all by itself.

You can see the video for ‘Theorem’ on YouTube, and follow Shojon here or on Facebook.

Review by Alex Holmes

Kwonrad – Vanilla & Honey: A Dreamy Melodious Debut from a Trailblazing US Duo

Posted on 2 September 2020

Tracks such as the debut single from San Francisco-based artist Kwonrad remind you just how powerful dreamy melodious music can be.

“Vanilla & Honey” feels like an act of pure indulgence when you hit play. The immersive gravity starts with delicately light and warmly textured notes which trickle under Hunter Conrad’s soul-soothing vocals. The accordance carved on the guitar is equally as hypnotic. Finishing off the soundscape is the rhythmically intoxicating prowess of Alec Kwo (keyboards, synths, bass, engineering).

Any fans of improvisation offering artists such as Hiatus Kaiyote, Stevie Wonder, and Vulfpeck will definitely want to hit play and drink in the delectable infusion of Soul, Jazz, Indie, Rock and Folk.

You can check out Kwonrad’s single Vanilla & Honey for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lil Rascal Jusi has made their debut with their dynamically ambient urban album “Broken Record”.

Posted on 11 July 2020

Lil Rascal Jusi AKA SINJUNHEE has dropped their sweet Lo-Fi debut album “Broken Record”, a collection of seven tracks which come together as a sublimely soulful melting pot of Urban culture.

From the roots of Soul to offerings of contemporary soulful RnB Trap melodies, the release offers it all. Even more distinctively, Lil Rascal Jusi offered up a different track/vibe for every day of the week.

The track which left us tension-stripped and cathartically enamoured was “Sunday: Vibing” featuring Masego. Maroon 5’s original track was a soul-soother, but Lil Racal Jusi’s rework of the chorus in Vibing gave the catchy chorus even more enamouring appeal.

There’s little room to wonder why that there’s so much hype around the artist’s modernistic Jazzy hits. He’s definitely one to watch.

You can check out Lil Rascal Jusi’s debut album for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Matilda Bond has made her RnB Soul debut with “Midnight”

Posted on 16 June 2020

Midnight is the debut release from Brighton-based Swedish RnB singer-songwriter Matilda Bond. It may be roots-deep, but that didn’t dilute the vitality of the viscerally captivating soundscape.

The accordance of the light and lofty Jazz-infused instrumentals carve sweet harmonies which exude a slick Neo-Soul groove are perfectly paired with the artists strikingly fierce vocals.

Reminiscences between Matilda Bond and Amy Winehouse are easy to make. Alluding to her magnetically fierce energy is a far harder feat. There’s a rare urgency behind her expression which affirms the level of passion projected into Midnight.

Naturally, we can’t wait to hear what comes next from the breaking artist.

You can check out Midnight which was released in April 2020 for yourselves by heading over to Spotify now.

Keep up to date with the artist’s new releases via Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Cjvd has dropped their Funk-deep serving of RnB Soul “Nobody Else”

Posted on 13 June 2020

Cjvd has gone right back to the roots of RnB with the potent serving of soul which was projected into his latest single Nobody Else. But with the snappy solid beats in the accordantly light arrangement, he created a hit which deserves a spot on 21st-century airwaves.

The hook-filled immersive track sits at the perfect tempo to offer catharsis whilst simultaneously allowing you to lose yourself in the colourfully romantic mix.

Cjvd isn’t just on-trend with Nobody Else. He’s started his own with his accessibly sentimental Funk-deep style. And we’re definitely here for it.

You can check out Cjvd’s single Nobody Else for yourselves by heading over to Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast