Trevour Amunga - Reflexions & Strings (EP)

PHOTO: Joanna Adams

Reflections & Strings (EP) - Trevour Amunga (Hiphop) Trevour Amunga’s 5 track EP is a collection of avant garde hiphop that will consistently keep a listener guessing with its myriad references, styles and sonic landscapes. The most engaging part of this EP is how often it is willing to take risks. Especially in the first 3 tracks, Trevour Amunga refuses to marry himself to a particular beat and sound, shifting 180 degrees into new territories within songs, sometimes more than once. It makes for an extremely engaging listening experience, and one packed with so much that it certainly takes several listens to fully uncover all the gems sprinkled throughout.

When it comes to Trevour’s vocals, we get a blend of Plies and Lil Wayne in terms of tonality and delivery, and an overall call to 00s hiphop. He’s a fan of the distortion effect, utilized best in his closing track Chains, which as we describe below, is our favorite of the collection. The vocal performance is incredibly passionate and Trevour does not hesitate to entirely throw himself into his songs, implying a freedom and vulnerability that helps him step above his peers.

In an exercise of cleverness, it feels as if Trevour is consciously trying to trick his listeners by starting off his tracks with a red herring. Songs often start in one sonic soundscape before completely barrelling into something entirely different. More than flirting with the abstract, it gives the EP an almost dangerous quality, constantly keeping the listener on their toes. In a nod to retro hiphop, some of the tracks employ the nearly abandoned fadeout, while others simply cut off without warning.

As to the sound, the most cohesive element are the heavily verbed, warbling and EQ muted synths, guitars and pads that lay beneath varied percussion choices throughout. That and the aforementioned vocal distortion provide a consistency that is otherwise contrasted with the unique sounds of each track. Our favorite realm is certainly the retro R&B twinkling rhodes of Stargirl 94, which we think is the most radio friendly track, sticking to one sound and a more classic song structure from start to finish. But overall, even with the varying styles, each track boasts a luscious production, giving Trevour a unique and distinctive sound all his own.

86 Porsche, which gives us the most Plies, feels like a cousin of Bust It Baby at times, and reminds us of the way 00s hiphop would often sample synth loops from 80s R&B. Home, on the other hand, feels like it might belong on Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy with the vocal effects. Uniquely, this song actually explores 3 different sounds within it, our favorite being the final segment featuring late 90s percussion hits and a beautiful spanish guitar.

Magic lives up to its name by beginning with a trance-like incantation, casting a spell on the listener with a more spoken word performance before switching it up. There’s a Kendrick flare to the vocals at first, but after the change in landscape we heard Outkast’s Bombs Over Baghdad, which was a very pleasant surprise.

But above all, Chains is the standout track. The finale of the EP, the track contains lyrics that contemplate uniquely African American life experiences and are delivered with the most impressive vocal performance of the entire album. It’s anthemic, passionate and incredibly interesting. If Stargirl 94 is the radio track, Chains is the one to submit for awards.

We hope you’ll introduce yourself to the depth that is Trevour Amunga, who we expect still has much more to say and show, which we look forward to.

NXTIME - renaissance bb

renaissance bb - NXTIME (Pop) NXTIME’s renaissance bb feels incredibly fresh, with a use of references that show respect to all that came before this very modern vibe. The vocals are lush, using synthetic harmony walls that give almost a Queen type of sound. Strictly speaking of the marriage between the singer and instrumental, the track feels straight Justin Timberlake 00s, back when he was doing his (best) work with Timbaland. The rap feature, while brief, doesn’t waste a single moment of its time, delivering some clever references and even a nod to 50 Cent, continuing to signal this song’s retro influence. The careful plodding of the synth plucks turns the entire affair into a pleasant 2-step and hip winder. Also, props to the out of nowhere shift to a funk-inspired break. There’s a lot to love here, and we recommend putting this tight little groove on replay.

Best Lyric: “And we gon’ light it up like it’s your birthday, yeah 50 said that once, that’s some wordplay.“

Sachin - so free

so free - Sachin (HipHop/Pop) Multi-talented Sachin melds retro and modern sensibilities into his newest gem, so free. It’s always a pleasure to find an artist who raps just as well as he sings, and in this track we are treated to both. The choruses give us real Andre 3000 Outkast vibes, especially his more pop-friendly records. When speaking of retro, we’ve got a Billie Jean-esque drum loop driving through the track as shimmering, warbling synths float in the background like summer haze, before a welcomed funk guitar enters at the end to bring it all home. From his references and throwback influences to his use of close harmonies in little punches of background vocals that are pure candy, Sachin shows us all that he’s not just a performer, he’s a musician. This track has big crossover hit vibes.

Best Lyric: “I do this for my kind, yeah they love the way I shine.”

NÓWNØIS - For Tomorrow

For Tomorrow - NÓWNØIS (R&B) NÓWNØIS’s newest track, For Tomorrow, is a vocal showcase, displaying the singer’s talent and ability to carry a song entirely. The production is spare—a few synth swells, a simple percussion to keep time as more of a metronome than anything—and serves only to center a strong yet intimate vocal. The vocalist is quite a storyteller with an emotive voice as clear as a bell. While the instrumental stays pretty level, it is the vocal that continues the build as layer after layer is added, including some beautifully close harmonies and some shining upper adlibs. With each layer the song becomes more passionate—like sirens beckoning you to shore. We could certainly hear an acapella group covering this track.

Best Lyric: “The well practiced fake smile feels twisted around my mouth.”

Reno & Rome - Live Without You

Live Without You - Reno & Rome (Pop) Reno & Rome delivers a funk inspired groove with Live Without You—a certified bop with a late 80s/early 90s pop sensibility. That retro soundscape is particularly highlighted by the tinny guitar, which could trick a listener into believing the track is actually from back in the day. Not only radio friendly, we could also picture this track in the credit sequence of a John Hughes film. The production boasts a great blend of live instrumentation and modern FX tricks—the latter specifically highlighted in the distorted and pitch adjusted vocal that takes center stage in the driving bridge. The classic pop song structure is a welcome return, creating a feel good, all-ages track to spin you around on the dance floor. Sure, add this to your playlist, but we think you’re also going to want to hear this one live in concert.

Best Lyric: “This love is bittersweet, I got a sour taste but what can it be?”

Proklaim - Around

Around - Proklaim (Hiphop) We couldn’t help but wind our hips when listening to Prokaim’s latest record, Around, and think you’ll do the same. It’s an infectious groove with a 00s R&B sensibility, conjuring images of basking in the summer sun on a private yacht. Proklaim delivers a hyper chill groove with a catchy earworm of a chorus, providing the needed musical tension with a driving guitar pluck as a through line that carries the listener through the track. Vocally, we’re getting Kendrick vibes, and Proklaim is undoubtedly skilled with the pen. The lyrics are clever and distinctive, performed expertly with a liquid flow that rides the beat. This one goes on your summer playlist next to some DJ Khaled.

Best Lyric: “You’ll never get to where you wanted if you never start.”

Trust The Mask - Otaku

Otaku - Trust The Mask (Pop) Trust The Mask’s newest track, Otaku, is a smorgasbord of goodies. It’s a buzzy techno experience, with a crystal clear production that gives almost an ASMR experience. But it’s also 80s with respect to its percussion and yet 00s Robyn-esque with its driving synth bass. But it’s most interesting and distinctive element is the seemingly Indian inspired instrument—possibly a shehnai—that weaves into the track and certainly catches the ear. When it comes to the vocals, they have a modern sensibility—close and intimate, mysterious and haunting—with a Sia sensibility. Overall the track is an inventive blend of influences with an anthemic catchy chorus that, when working together, make it Otaku a standout record.

BLOODLIN3 - Until I Fall

Until I Fall - BLOODLIN3 (Rap) We’ve had the pleasure of reviewing BLOODLIN3 before, and what a treat it’s been to listen to his latest track. First off, it’s an incredibly impressive production. Distinctive in its use of epic strings and a haunting classic choral loop sitting behind a buzzy analog bass lead, this track barrels out of the gate with some Twista level flow that knocked us out of our chairs. We are not exaggerating when we say that there are enough lyrics in this track to make three different records, and all these lines are impressively penned. This song strikes lyric gold. But thankfully BLOODLIN3 gives the listener some respite by introducing a diversity of flow, one of which really gave us Ludacris vibes. We can definitely hear this track placed in the credit sequence of a Hollywood blockbuster, and so we suggest that you put this on a playlist right next to Kanye’s “Monster” to give yourself a horror double feature.

Best Lyric: “Bout to kill them all, better get the law.”

Chris Caulfield - Ugly

PHOTO: Chris Caulfield l LivingRoomSociety

Ugly - Chris Caulfield (Pop) Chris Caulfield delivers a provoking blend of genres with his new track Ugly, featuring an extremely emotive and expressive vocal performance that makes this record a standout. We are of two minds about this track. First, it certainly has pop/R&B sensibility in the instrumental production with the crispy trap percussion and 90s house claps. Behind that, however, is a winding distorted guitar that snakes throughout the track on loop, gluing it together, which reminds us of Blackhole Sun. And that’s where we come to our second view--the vocal production and delivery is very 00s alt rock, or even 90s grunge. Stressed and theatrical, Chris really delivers those lyrics by throwing himself into the song entirely. It’s a passionate project, and one worth listening to.

Best Lyric: “How we wish for Sunny Ds for better morning.”

WIZTOM - Weather For Two Ft Don Corleone, 17 Milez

Weather For Two - WIZTOM (ft Don Corleone, 17 Milez) (Afrobeat) Now this is what you call feel good music. With Weather For Two, WIZTOM is bringing summer sun and island breeze with a catchy little love song sure to get bodies winding. An upbeat midtempo, this sparkling track is an afrobeat landscape cut with highly compressed and tuned vocals to slice right through the center and give that modern resonant buzz. We really like where the melody sits in the overall chord structure with the background synths providing tension throughout. Our favorite part, however, are the little synth plucks that appear throughout, introducing new depth to the track with each appearance. We guarantee that Weather For Two will bring a smile to your face and some movement to those hips.

Best Lyric: “This is my melody for you.”

MN Moder - Just Forget It

Just Forget It - MN Moder (R&B) In Just Forget It, MN Moder gives a big old “nevermind” to a potential love interest over an incredibly fresh R&B production. The general vibe of the song gives us a Jazmine Sullivan feel—we could hear her tackling a beat like this. It certainly has that “knock” you want as a dry percussion and kick perfectly compliment a swirling synth and key line, with even a pan flute showing up at the end to close out the track. The vocals are given the heavily compressed and tuned effect with what we think is a synth harmonizer that creates a unique sound for the vocalist that is just pure ear candy. When our rapper makes his appearance, he features with an easy flow that was giving us flashbacks to Jeezy features in the 00s. A classic R&B sensibility with a modern production makes MN Moder’s Just Forget It playlist gold.

Best Lyric: “Play the next man, never me though.”

Tainted Youth - Numb

Numb - Tainted Youth (Pop) Tainted Youth takes an EDM approach to alt rock classic Numb, originally recorded by Linkin Park, taking the track in a new and surprising direction. While still applying heavy distortion to the vocal at times, the approach here was to take out a lot of the “grunge” from the original production and instead focus on the power of the lyrics themselves. The vocals are clear and strong, centering the track, as a relatively sparse production sits back and allows the singer to shine. Without the crushing guitars of the original, this pivots the focus of the track from the raw emotion of the original to a more storyteller approach. Our favorite part is the little call back to the original’s counterpoint melody which Tainted Youth puts in a heavily verbed bell hanging in the back. When it first appears, if you didn’t recognize the cover up until then, that’s the moment that it really jogs your memory. It’s such a great eureka moment for oldheads like us here at Necessary Outlet.

Ace Rosewall - Stay Friends

Stay Friends - Ace Rosewall (Pop) Ace Rosewell delivers a perfect Top 40 pop gem with his latest track, Stay Friends—an easy-breezy song about the end of a relationship and transition into friendship. The production is fresh and crisp—a punctuated percussion with all the little pop string plucks, whistles, piano chords and other production tricks one would expect from modern pop. We are even treated to a luscious guitar solo at the end, which really elevates the track. All of these elements build throughout the record as it trots along at a steady pace. It is very much a travelling song—a midtempo that bops along smooth and easy with a real sing-along-ability to it. We can picture pulling up next to someone in traffic belting their lungs out to this one.

Best Lyric: “You know, it was never gonna be us.”

Antony Alexander - It's Always Been You

It’s Always Been You - Antony Alexander (EDM) As soon as those synth chord hits start, you know that you are in for a dance anthem with Antony Alexander’s It’s Always Been You. It’s a Calvin Harris-esque track—poppy, bouncy and catchy, and destined for outdoor summer DJs at tea dances and beach dance parties. The sidechain is heavy, adding to the movement of the track that beckons a few spins on the dancefloor. The vocalist soars, at times having an almost Ellie Goulding quality. We especially loved the chant that wraps the chorus as a great earworm and very sing-along-able. So grab a drink and get that suntan lotion on as you let It’s Always Been You be one of your songs for the summer.

ICEBERG - Swim (EP)

Swim - ICEBERG (EP) (Indie Rock) It’s been quite a pleasure to wade our way into ICEBERG’s Swim project—a brilliantly produced effort chock full of pop gems meant to appear on Top 40 radio. Creative and personal lyrics matched with a consistently lush production, Swim is one of those “play through” albums that doesn’t lose your attention once. Catchy, relatable and highly sing-along-able, Swim is a success.

Which makes it even more impressive that Swim was produced by the artist herself. A Pennsylvania-born artist/producer with ambient indie rock in her soul, this classically trained pianist has also engineered and written for X-Factor winner Matt Terry. And so it gives us great pleasure to not only celebrate ICEBERG as a performer, but also as a multi-talented, multi-faceted artist able to bring her vision to life in nearly every respect.

We start with the general and move into the specific. If we had to give ICEBERG’s project a chart-topping pop radio comparison, we’d say if you liked Alessia Cara’s “Know-It-All” album or are a fan of Sara Bareilles, you’ll feel right at home swimming through all seven tracks of Swim. There’s a melancholy air to the project, with a consistent midtempo flow, centered on live instrumentation and classic song construction that we are happy to say pulls off the hat trick of making the songs both firmly rooted in today and yet timeless. The way the tracks are constructed, they are destined for longevity and to continue reaching audiences long after release.

ICEBERG’s vocals are both strong and intimate. They sit very “front” in most of the mixes with powerful, yet restrained, deliveries which beckon the listener to pull up a chair and lose themselves in the stories told throughout the album. Background vocals are also incorporated subtly, sitting far back in the mixes often in swirling reverbs that add emotional weight to the tracks, making them feel anthemic. It’s a great balance that the songs are so intimate and yet still BIG. Listening to Swim, we have no doubt that ICEBERG is a great live performer—vocal tricks are spare on this album, the vocal production is very light touch—and we can visualize the tracks on Swim filling any venue.

Now, to our standout tracks. Our favorites sit on the backhalf of the project—10ft, Nothing At All and Don’t Give A Fuck. 10ft is a powerful ballad, and tugs on the heartstrings the most out of all the tracks. The verbed wailing guitar and strings swell with emotion and ICEBERG’s vocal range is on full display, from the powerful belt down to the intimate coos. The chord progressions are really driving, they fill your body when listening to them, and the descent at the end of the chorus where she repeats the title is intoxicating, giving us a touch of Fiona Apple.

Nothing At All feels the most radio friendly, mostly due to its distinct lyrics and expertly crafted slow build. This one really sweeps you along and the chorus is very memorable and sing-along-able. But if you want to talk about build and drive, then it’s the finale that you want—Don’t Give A Fuck. The tension is palpable throughout and that kick drum thuds so good—hits you right in the chest. While the entire effort is well produced, Don’t Give A Fuck is a standout and a great track for ICEBERG to take her bow.

Final word: dive into Swim, we guarantee many replays.

Breon S.Y.N.D.E.L - Buy Me Some Time (LP)

By Me Some Time - Breon S.Y.N.D.E.L (LP) (Hiphop) By Me Some Time is loud and in your face, just as a hiphop record should be. It’s a feel good album of midtempos that feel custom made for speeding down the highway, which makes total sense considering Breon’s inspiration for his work, which we discuss more below. The album succeeds in creating a holistic sound that carries through the entire album, and is chock full of nostalgia (particularly in the synth choices) while keeping the drumkits and basslines freshly modern.

Breon describes his project as “what happens when a fever dream meets Wreck-It-Ralph/Sonic the hedgehog” and is heavily inspired by “your favorite video racing games.” We feel this especially comes through in those synth choices—retro and fuzzy, they sound very similar to the Prince 1999 synths. We also have some really great early Nintendo synth effects, specifically highlighted in Sunrise, which give a great throwback feel to the modern hiphop 808s and drumkits.

The album has a consistent sound throughout, and tends to stick to roughly the same tempo, making for a cohesive project. It’s a smart way to capture an audience—if you like one song, there’s no reason you won’t like anything else on the album as each delivers in a specific style. The songs flow directly into each other and make sense in sequencing, making the LP a pleasant listen through.

Aside from the common synths and hiphop bass/drum production, the vocal production is also consistent throughout, and reminds us of Kanye’s vocal production his My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy project. Heavily tuned for that distinctive robotic effect and and airy distortion throughout, it assists in giving the album it’s specific soundscape. That production is matched with deeply personal lyrics that at times hit pretty hard in the chest—Drake-level explorations of heartache and a few references to suicidal ideation really catch you and let you know that Breon is letting you in on some pretty personal stuff. He has an easy flow, and rides all of his beats without a single hiccup, never losing the listener on the journey.

For us, the standout tracks are Double or Nothin, Sunrise and Lemon Squeezy. Double or Nothin is the most personal track on the album, exemplifying what we described earlier as a Drake-level exploration of heartache. It feels the most radio friendly and the back and forth between the lead vocal and an octave drop, dueting in the second verse, is that part of the song that you can’t wait to get to because it just sounds so cool. Sunrise explores those Nintendo and arcade-esque synth sounds that elevates the song into pure earcandy thanks to that healthy dose of nostalgia. Finally, Lemon Squeezy is a perfect closer—the synth progression feels like a finale—and it has a distinct percussion to the rest of the album that really stands out.

Excellently mixed and mastered and chock full of certified two-steps, add Breon S.Y.N.D.E.L’s Buy Me Some Time album to your commute playlist.