Browsing Tag

RnB Soul

Spotlight Feature: FEAT delivered all of the curatively cathartic soul in his indie RnB single, This Time

Posted on 6 April 2022

‘This Time’ is the latest single released from the Philadelphian alt-RnB artist, FEAT, who has been on a home run with his soul-baring hits since making his debut in 2020.

Some of the tracks that featured on his debut album, For the Lovers Mixtape, have made it onto the OST for the indie film, The Unhinged, and his smooth sonic signature works just as well on the airwaves. Lyrically, this Time explores the very human tendency to stay in toxic dynamics for longer than is healthier while channelling compassion for others in the same situation. Aurally, This Time is a rock and indie guitar-licked distinctive triumph that stands as the ultimate testament to FEAT’s originality. It was a bold move to be so artfully authentic, but it more than paid off in This Time.

Here’s what FEAT had to say on his latest release

“This Time was a song written during a breakup. After numerous attempts to make the relationship work, I was left with disappointment and dissatisfaction and hurt. This song became a way to relieve the undesirable emotions; it was time for me to realize my potential, what I am capable of, and to disconnect from a love that was so very tragic.”

This Time is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Throw away romantic inhibition with Ze-LuJ’s seminal single, Say You Love Him

Posted on 6 October 2021

Contemporary RnB artist, Ze-LuJ’s seminal single, Say You Love Him, is the perfect introduction to his sublimely smooth take on neo-soul. The ease of the minimalist 80s-inspired electronic instrumentals allows the single to groove at a meditative pace while the singer-songwriter croons the lyrics that tempt the listener to throw away romantic inhibition and go all in.

The production may be a little raw and simplistic, but that simply gives the intimacy of the single more space to breathe.

You can check out Say You Love Him, which was released in July 2021, for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

PJ Best gives us a glimpse of beauty with his single, the Sun Through the Trees.

Posted on 14 September 2021

‘The Sun Through the Trees’ is the catharsis breathing latest album from up and coming soul-pop artist PJ Best; his serenading melodies are best enjoyed through the meditatively mellow title single.

Over the soul-steeped electro-pop grooves, his vocals implore you deeper into the tonal bliss of the instrumentals that synergise with his old school RnB style crooned harmonies. His ode to nature which refracts into an exploration of beauty in connection is stunning, to say the least.

PJ Best’s debut album is now available to stream in full via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dvme The Artist is gonna make us ‘Pack’

Posted on 22 April 2021

Soft, gentle rhyming vocal flow mixes with killer beats and funky guitar parts to tell a story of a breaking relationship and that feeling of ‘should I stay or should I leave’ that surely we’ve all felt from time to time; that’s what Dvme (pronounced ‘Dame’) brings us on new single ‘Pack’, a mellow, laid-back slice of Hip Hop-tinged-R&B (or R&B-tinged-Hip Hop).

It’s chilled, it’s got some bounce, the guitar and sampled female spoken-voice parts add interest, and the poetic lyrics have got some serious groove and flow. It’s a strong, solid track, and it bodes well for Dvme’s new EP, due later this year.

You can hear ‘Pack’ on YouTube. Follow Dvme on Facebook.

Review by Alex Holmes

Chadwick Station keep us ‘Coming Back For More’

Posted on 22 April 2021
Chadwick Station

After hitting the coveted Number One spot in the Beach Music Top 40 with their Northern Soul single ‘Cryin’ Ain’t Gonna Win Her Back’, Britain’s Chadwich Station have gone full-on R&B swing-time with new single ‘Coming Back For More’. A lot of Harry Connick Jr, a dash of Jamie Culham, and a certain splash of ‘Swing When You’re Winning’ Robbie Williams’ mixed up with beach music, swing, and jazzy R&B, ‘Coming Back For More’ grooves like it’s just bought its new tuxedo and it’s determined to show it off to you in the absolute best way possible. A dash of neat bourbon, some table tea-lights, and a groove that hangs on the three-beat; the horns swing, the piano adds some sparkle, and the bassline bumps and bounces along nicely underneath. It’s a quality tune, and adds just a little bit of alternative spice to regular R&B swing to keep it fresh and interesting.

You can hear ‘Coming Back For More’ here, and follow Chadwick Station on Facebook or Twitter.

Review by Alex Holmes

Dara Blaxx drops the stunning lead single from her new EP, with ‘Before I Leave’

Posted on 20 April 2021

Dara Blaxx is a 25 year old British Nigerian singer-songwriter who discovered her voice at the tender age of sixteen; and wow, what a voice. Soulful, sultry, and powerfully seductive, Dara has all the smoky, late-night elements of soul, Motown, blues, and jazz rolled up into one beautiful vocal performance. There’s elements of Sade, Joss Stone, and Dina Carroll in the timbre of her lower register, for sure, but also older classics like Etta James, Betty Wright, and Brenda Holloway.

‘Before I Leave’ is a beautifully performed tale of love and loss, and the indecision around staying or leaving; deep trap-soul beats and groove, a real R&B feel, added to the emotional vocal, make ‘Before I Leave’ – from Blaxx’s debut 6-track EP ‘Arrythmia’ – an absolute powerhouse soul track. Already hitting playlists on BBC Music Introducing in the West Midlands and in the Solent, this deserves to be all over daytime radio this summer. It’s beautiful.

You can hear ‘Before I Leave’, and the rest of the “Arrhythmia” EP, on Soundcloud. Follow Dara Blaxx on Facebook.

Review by Alex Holmes.

Brianne Matthews – Holding On: Modern and Minimalist RnB

Posted on 17 April 2021

Holding On is just one of the tender tracks to feature on RnB artist Brianne Matthews’ debut EP, ‘Metanoia’. With stripped-back instrumentals, plenty of the focus falls upon Brianne Matthews’  vocals that pull old school soul styles into a modern and minimalist production. The experimentation with spatial effect mixed with the compelling message that runs through the lyricism, reminding you that if you feel lost while tethered to the past, you’re not alone, is sure to resonate.

The case made in Holding On becomes even more convincing through the addition of the male vocals that add plenty of baritone soul to the mix that was orchestrated to stay with you long after it fades; it’s safe to say that the breaking artist was successful.

Holding On is now available to stream via Spotify. For more info, head over to Brianne Matthews’ official website.

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

Janockeil cranked up the evocative intensity with his latest RnB single ‘Feeling’

Posted on 23 January 2021

Ahead of the release of his forthcoming EP, RnB luminary, Janockeil, has released his sensually resolving single ‘Feelings’; a refreshing exposition of just how deep our intrinsic need for connection really is.

Janockeil found the perfect balance between evocative intensity and raw vulnerability with Feeling, evading the risk of the track becoming just another RnB single which alludes to a romance only ever seen in RnB music videos. After the 2020 we’ve all just endured together, I have no doubt that there will be high demand for such compassionate and compelling contemporary aural soul on the airwaves; Janockeil’s future looks exceptionally bright.

You can check out Feeling for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Flow has brought RnB into a new era with ‘Where You Been’

Posted on 15 January 2021
https://soundcloud.com/flowsadventure/where-you-been

North Carolina RnB Soul pioneer, Flow, released his latest sun-soaked hit ‘Where You Been’ on December 11th, with elements of Deep House and Afrobeat weaved in, it’s impossible not to catch the infectious high vibes.

While playfully experimental progressions allow glitchy beats to add to the energy of the smooth RnB melodies, Flow gives you an idea of how he came about his moniker. By switching between soul-dripping crooning and energising Rap verses, there isn’t a moment in the track which will allow your attention to falter from the fresh ingenuity on offer.

You can check out Flow’s latest single via Soundcloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast