Squad, we had another month of excellent releases. Yes, certainly on the album / EP front. Teyana’s Taylor’s The Album was truly the gift we needed. As was Ego Ella May’s Honey for Wounds. But we also got some strong single releases from H.E.R, Hanna, Khalid, Shantal May, Summer Walker and more. You can wade in the well of the best new R&B songs on our ‘On the Wave’ playlist on Spotify and YouTube below. The albums from the past month you don’t want to miss are also down below.
Teyana Taylor – The Album
Singer, songwriter, dancer, actress and all-around artist, Teyana Taylor, blessed us with her long-awaited full length album. The Album, shows off Teyana’s multi-facets and delights whilst taking us on a genuine journey.
The Album meshes a range of sounds from Dancehall to re-contextualized modern R&B. 23 tracks long, The Album embodies Taylor’s newfound creative freedom. It’s a far cry off when she felt stifled creatively recording previous projects. Teyana intentionally included many tracks on this project. The end result is an album that is all the more personal and reflective of her vision as an artist. Interestingly, The Album can be listened to in five sections which she refers to as “studios”; A, L, B, U, and M.
The Album takes listeners through different feels and thoughts which also coincide with the sectioned theme. Stand out tracks include Still, Lowkey, Bare With Me, Concrete, How You Want It? and Bad to name just a few. With genres explored on The Album being very varied with R&B, Pop, Reggae, Rap, Hip Hop and Neo-Soul elements all showcased.
In short, The Album makes listeners want to indulge in and embrace love, dance with the tracks on full blast, reflect on past loves and one’s current life choices. It’s a wonderful well-rounded musical unveiling.
Ego Ella May – Honey For Wounds
Ego Ella May is a South-London based artist that provides a majestic mix of contemporary Jazz / Neo-Soul meshed with eclectic R&B. She’s also one of our ‘Artists to Watch in 2020′ and it’s always nice to have predicted right. This month she released another incredibly intentional full-length album titled, Honey For Wounds.
Released on John Boyega’s record label, Honey For Wounds is truly a modern-day masterpiece that not only soothes the Soul but seeks to heal. Never one to shy away from difficult topics, Ego keeps us captivated and engaged with an abundance of Soul and organic vibes. “It’s so easy to lie to yourself and others, so I really admire people who have the audacity to be truthful”.
Ella Ego May is a super-talented lyricist who glides easily between the political and personal without coming across as preachy. Vocally, she is flawless and has a heartwarmingly rich tone that resonates deeply. It’s drawn her many comparisons to Erykah Badu. In addition to this, the well-deserved rise of UK based Neo-Soul has tied into this with Ella being one of the driving forces behind this surge. Honey For Wounds simply is a game-changer. It brings together the years of honing her artistry into an incredible piece of art which should firmly affirm her place alongside her acclaimed contemporaries.
SAULT – UNTITLED (Black Is)
Elusive UK group, SAULT are back in a monumental way with a brilliant and pivotal new album, titled UNTITLED (Black Is).
Sonically, the record rides a similar musical lineage to their previous releases. However, the stakes here are much higher. Producer, Inflo, singer, Cleo Sol, and a host of luminary guests, including Michael Kiwanuk,a deliver a truly mesmerising collection of heartfelt, deeply soulful tracks. Motown inspiration of 60’s soul and 70’s funk is also evident throughout making for the album playing out as a complete experience from beginning to end.
In a nutshell, Untitled (Black Is) captures all of the raw emotions of anger, pain, resentment and hope of the moment. It truly could not have been released at a more poignant time. With the social awareness and at times lack thereof, the album is simply a soundtrack to the world in 2020. The highs and lows are deeply and sincerely felt on the project, with feelings of high defiance and low heart breaks musically displayed to complete accuracy.
J. Lamotta – Brand New Choice
J.Lamotta is a musical artist who is truly international. Born and raised in Tel Aviv, Israel to Moroccan parents and now living in Berlin. On the whole, she has been putting out music for the last five years through the incredibly soulful label, Jakarta Records. She has now she shifted gears once again with a new EP, Brand New Choice.
7 tracks long and lasting just over 20 minutes, it’s a slightly different direction for Lamotta. Her previous albums, Conscious Tree (2017) and Suzume (2019) whilst soulful borrowed more from hip hop based whereas, Brand New Choice steers much more into R&B / Soul.
Synthesizer and drum-machine driven, Brand New Choice also features a very contemporary eclectic sound, songwriting and production-wise, which may initially somewhat unnerving for listeners. That said, the good thing is that by doing this we get Lamotta in the best of her – both vocalist and lyricist. Lamotta’s subtle yet vivid vocals work very well with the melodically soulful backdrop of the majority of the EP. On the whole, Brand New Choice was an artistic risk that truly paid off. Brand New Choice showcases J. Lamotta as an artist evolving and developing her skill set like all great artists should do.
