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Shamir – “Oversized Sweater”
Jump right into this vintage-hued teenage daydream from singer-songwriter and Gen Z icon Shamir. Perhaps James Murphy said it best when he recalled his musical successors as carrying “borrowed nostalgia” — and so has Shamir here, singing about the value of hiding away (even if only inside your clothes) from the sanctuary of a perfectly replicated (or possibly preserved) ‘90s bedroom. And the song itself fits right in: soaring guitars, expressive and vulnerable lyricism, full-force percussion, and that radio play-friendly song structure so often found in the MTV era. It’s a collision of two eras worth lauding by reps from both — watch for the full album, Homo Anxietatem, out later this summer.
Amaarae – “Reckless & Sweet”
Ghanaian pop singer Amaarae is here to offset all that of-the-moment anxiety with a natural confidence and swagger that’s simply timeless. Bringing together sonic elements of R&B, Latin dance, and big-chart pop, this sultry-cool track and its shades-of-blue video are as bold as her earlier releases, while showcasing a welcome vulnerability. Amaarae’s lyrics evoke biblical imagery while questioning the psychological game of her rising stardom, and her signature whisper-light vocal style teases and tickles the brain by staying sublimely contained.
Samantha Urbani – “More Than a Feeling”
When it comes to love, are you in or are you out? That’s the challenge Samantha Urbi poses in this ‘80s-tinged, mood-stricken pop player. In a grainy video montage set all over the Weetzie Bat paradise that is Hollywood Boulevard at night, Urbi serves vintage Madonna, Sade, and a touch of Courtney Love, milking the moment while lyrically weighing her options: Either you show up for me, or I’ll show up for myself — but only 100% will do. Save this one for your finest night drives and will-they-or-won’t-they soul searches.
Puma Blue – “O, the Blood”
With Puma Blue at its helm, trip-hop is back in a major way — just a few bars in, and we’re seduced. This track is deep and inky black, little like dark-roasted coffee — rich and complex, with a touch of bitterness that feels so right. Featuring the signature slow percussion style of pioneers like Portishead and Massive Attack, and layered over with hyper-selective instrumentation to tug on a poet’s heartstrings, the song’s spare and longing sounds evoke ripples on water, or slow moving smoke. Londoner Jacob Allen is the force behind this bounty for big-sad-sexy music — get to know him before he blows up.
Tony Allen & Adrian Younge – “No Beginning”
Let’s end with a return to form: It’s all-caps MUSIC, just analog instruments and no voice; no synths, no plugins, no frontman ego in the way. Just brass, drums, and a flourish of chimes. Tony Allen, late pioneering percussionist of the Afrobeat genre, collaborated with musical leaders across genres and decades, most notably Fela Kuti and Damon Albarn. Now, nu-jazz leader Adrian Younge and his label Jazz Is Dead are bringing recordings from back in 2018 to the dawn of a new day with a set of incredible, transcendental jazz collaborations. Click this one, and don’t mind the abrupt ending: the full album, Tony Allen JID018, is coming soon.