A month of exceptional new R&B & Neo-Soul releases June was. New albums from the legendary Brandy, Lianne La Havas, Gaidaa, Jaz Karis, Joe Hertz and a powerhouse quartet. We’ve picked the best cuts for our On The Wave playlist below. And called out the highlights of each new R&B & Neo-Soul album.
Jaz Karis – All Eyes On U
In recent years, short EPs have become more and more popular. The less is more approach fits well with the pace of new music releases. The very talented Neo-Soul muse, Jaz Karis, blessed us with a 5-track project, All Eyes On U. Just 16 minutes, the lockdown project showcases Karis’ immaculate vocals across a nice mixture of sounds.
All 5 tracks feel different, provide a cycle of feels, emotions and sound. In spite of this, all of the tracks play well back to back. From the infatuation mood of Hold You’to the reggae infused Let Me Down, All Eyes On U provides something for everyone to groove to.
Gaidaa – Overture
It’s been a steady, assured rise for Dutch-based singer, Gaidaa. After an array of impressive singles in recent years, her debut EP, Overture, does not disappoint as she impressively and cohesively showcases her versatility across the 8 tracks. Earlier singles, Morning Blue & I Like Trouble alongside many new tracks all make for a very captivating listen throughout. Overture is an exceptional project.
Blessed with a brilliantly soulful voice, Gaidaa’s melodic harmonies and ability to story tell really shine through on Overture. The diversity of tracks keeps things interesting with no one song sounding similar to the next. Still, the project on remains very tight knit and cohesive sonically offering a lush blend of Neo-Soul with electronic influences.
Very excited for what’s next from Gaidaa. In the meantime, Overture is definitely a project to have in rotation. One of 2020’s best.
Joe Hertz – Current Blues
Joe Hertz is truly one of the UK’s best young producers. The South Londoner was raised on the mosh-pit of sound that is London and this is displayed on his new album, Current Blues.
In his own words, “Current Blues is a collection of tracks that I’ve been working on since my last project ‘Night/Daze’ came out three years ago. The album features a series of collaborations from a number of places that I’ve been to visit – it’s almost like a documentation of the journey that I’ve been on so far.”
This rings through on Current Blues with its host of featured artists from varied genres. From Pip Millett and Kaleem Taylor to Barney Artist & IYAMAH. The album’s production is truly tailored for this, resulting in a sonically coherent experience start to finish.
As far as the eclectic aesthetics of an album goes, Current Blues is easily one of the best projects you will hear all year. Further cements Joe Hertz’ place in making very good music which has something for everyone.
Lianne La Havas – Lianne La Havas
Lianne La Havas is back with a self-titled album and its simply divine. The talented Londoner has not dropped a project since 2015 but the wait was well and truly worth it. Lianne always delivers brilliantly vivid storytelling with a true sense of organic soul that truly resonates.
She manages to provide a sense of genuine vulnerability across the 11 tracks that all intertwine seamlessly together. Interestingly, where on previous albums the production possibly hindered her vocally, her soulful vocals truly shine to the forefront on Lianne La Havas.
The chilled build up of the tracks also helps intensify the listening experience with Lianne’s multi-layered vocals and vivid lyrics steering the ship. The opening track Bittersweet captures everything that makes Lianne La Havas a brilliant artist and does a great job at setting the tone. In addition, there is a retro-soul feel throughout, very reminiscent of Corrine Bailey Rae and early Tracy Chapman. On the whole, it’s wonderful to have new music from Lianne La Havas who is an artist truly creating art at her own pace and this new album showcases Lianne La Havas at her very best.
Brandy – B7
It’s been eight years since her last album and the long wait is finally over as R&B icon, Brandy, released a new album, B7. That said, when your career has transcended nearly 3 decades across music, film and television, it’s fair to say that creating an album is not an overnight process.
B7 does very well to blend vintage R&B aesthetics with the current climate without sounding like it’s trying to do too much. Tracks like I Am More, No Tomorrow & Rather Be bring back that classic Brandy sound but there is variance throughout like on lead single Baby Mama and on the duet Love Again which features Daniel Caesar.
As expected, vocally Brandy is remarkable as ever, yet it’s the album’s narratives that pierce through most. The topics are varied ranging from Brandy’s experiences going through life challenges like on Saving All My Love. Her take on mental health on Lucid Dreams to love and romance on Say Something. B7 in many ways is a watershed moment for the soulful singer-songwriter. The album illustrates her position in R&B and hits you with the certainty that she is very much aware of who she is, comfortable in her own skin and how she wants to have her story portrayed. Brandy has well and truly created an album for true R&B lovers as opposed to chasing the mainstream sound which again showcases exactly why she has had such celebrated longevity.
Terrace Martin, 9th Wonder, Kamasi Washington & Robert Glasper – Dinner Party
Ears were peeled with anticipation when it was announced that these 4 musical masterminds will be joining forces for an album. Although joint albums often have too much pressure for greatness which can leave things feeling somewhat underwhelming. This thankfully is far from the case on Dinner Party.
The 7-track project offers a delightful blend of Hip-hop, Soul and Jazz throughout with each artist’s sound shining through. All 4 artists have been friends for years and have collaborated several times. Interestingly, the idea came about when Martin & Glasper were on tour together. The cohesion shows.
One of the refreshing things about the album is there is no one dominant force or the sense of battle between the artists for air time. All 4 artists allow their instruments and talents to seamlessly flow alongside each other which makes for a remarkably cohesive musical listen.
As is often the case with the artists involved, the majority of the project is instrument-orientated. Only 4 out of the 7 tracks included vocals provided by the singer Phoelix, yet this does not hinder the listen. It only helps add another soulful layer. On the whole, Dinner Party is a swirling bowl of cosmic Funk, meshed with free Jazz and Soul well and truly served. Arriving at a perfect time for when the impact of black artists on the greater music industry is being further examined, in many ways the project pays perfect homage to that very topic.
Dinner Party does exactly what the title alludes to and is a free flowing project that feels like something you can throw on in that very environment.
