Single Review: “Away From Here” – Speech Debelle X Baby Sol

Speech Debelle just dropped a beauty of an album, “Sunday Dinner On A Monday” and one of my favourite tracks on it is this one for many reasons.  The warped record playing the chords sets the tone, especially with the crackle. The beat drops in borrowing from afrobeat with the rimshot, kick and shakers.  It’s …

Single Review: “Darling Boy” – Nitin Sawhney and Guy Garvey

Nitin Sawhney and Guy Garvey have collaborated on a song ahead of the release of an album in October. There is so much to love about this song. First of all, it starts off with a multilayered a cappella. The main vocal does some really lovely runs, but It’s the harmony that caught me off …

Single Review: “Drawn To You” – Brapurple & Gabrielle Sey

To Ghana – the motherland – we go for this, and it’s got the taste of suya, jollof rice and an ice cold Fanta in the summer sun with ice dripping down the sides.  In other words this song deserves the chef’s kiss.  Gabrielle Sey and Brapurple join forces on this Gabrielle bringing the soulful …

Single Review: “12 Inches Of Love” – Alice Offley

Alice is back with a track that could burn up the dance floor easily! It’s got a groove for days based around a four on the floor beat, punctuated with timbales – brining in elements of latin rhythms, the basis of which disco in New York was built on in the early 70s. This song …

Single Review: “Wonder” – Mikey J

This is a track from Australian artist Mikey J, and it’s…. Bluesy! It’s a slow tempo track from his new album “Wondering”, and it’s lyrically it’s a reassurance about how his love would never change. It starts off with a set of questions:  “Do you ever wonder if this life would  be the same? If …

Single Review: “Focus” – Nyla Sings

Nyla Sings – Focus This is a gorgeous acoustic number! WOW. Nyla’s voice comes in giving the whole song warmth, over a bed of acoustic guitar, finger snaps, 808 drums and synth bass. The beat stutters nicely skipping little bits here and there which makes it pleasing to the ear. Thing is though…. It’s short …

Single Review: “When I Fall” – BRAVE JAMES ft. Oli Rockberger

BRAVE JAMES is back with a new track featuring a singer songwriter that I love and respect, Oli Rockberger. And they deliver! Whereas the last single was a collaboration with with Blue Lab Beats and had a more soulful hip hop vibe this is folktronica at its best, catchy ethereal melodies with dreamy synths, the …

Single Review: “Daffodils” – Sleaze

This is a cracker of a track, the low register vocal reminds me a little bit of Damon Albarn that disinterested tone, but don’t let that fool you because it’s a cracker of a song with lyrics that are pure one liners. The disinterested vibe is intentional if you listen to the lyrics that’s all …

Single Review: “Bluff” – Morena Santi and D’Larm

This tune… Morena comes out all cylinders firing with a fine vocal over drums made up 808 sounds, and analogue synth parts. This is the kind of tune you can easily get down to.  Morena delivers a playful vocal, which sits right on top of the instrumental, and you can tell she had fun while …