Little Monster - Nasmore (Dark Pop) Nasmore, with guest Ariana Celaeno, delivers a hypnotic rock tango in the superbly produced “Little Monster.” The grunge of the instrumental, cut with a plucky percussion production and a bevy of sound effects, contrasts with the seductive and ethereal vocals of Ariana. At times, her voice reminded us of a virtuoso violin soloist, slipping all over the hard hitting backing. There’s an unease to “Little Monster”—there’s a fair dose of creepy vibes in this one. The song conjures images of a ballroom dance in a haunted house. “Little Monster” feels like it should be in the credit sequence of a Netflix teen gothic drama.
Edie Yvonne - Delusion
Delusion- Edie Yvonne (Pop) Edie Yvonne puts a retro sheen on her latest gem, the infectious little bop “Delusional”, the third of a trilogy of singles we’ve had the pleasure to review already (“Girl Code” and “Queen Bee”). There’s a 60s gogo boot feel to the tune with a 70s vocal vibe that when combined with its modern production makes for a timeless little record. With a plucky guitar lead dueting with the ethereal vocal layering, we also get some alt rock guitar chords that add a bit of 90s as well. We are consistently impressed by Edie’s versatility—no two of her songs sound the same—and yet they are all infused with a cheeky innocence and vocal equivalent of a mischievous wink. Edie is one to watch.
C.P. Queen of Rapsoul - Chronological Ballistics
Chronological Ballistics (LP) - C.P. Queen of Rapsoul (R&B) C.P. Queen of Rap Soul has a self proclaimed title that sets up quite a task for her debut album “Chronological Ballistics.” C.P., or Carle Pen, partners with Brian Johnson, “B~nYce”, on the beats to compile a 20 track album that spans genres (R&B to Reggae to Hip Hop) as well as the emotional spectrum—from life’s difficulties to just getting on the floor at a party. We break into C.P.’s debut effort below, reviewing some of our favorites from the LP.
C.P.’s “Chronological Ballistics” certainly has a retro flare, spanning the R&B and Hip Hop landscape from the late 90s to the mid 00s. The use of interludes alone takes us back to the days of a Janet Jackson album where songs were grouped together thematically and ushered along by spoken word or sound effect heavy interlude frames. Here, however, C.P. most reminds us of TLC—her intro track alone gave us Fanmail vibes for sure. There’s a lot of C.P. that actually reminds us of that GOAT girl group, specifically in her harmonies. There’s a lot of T-Boz in C.P. and we wonder if her vocal harmonies were an inspiration for the project. The instrumentation gave us TLC’s “3D” vibes, however, and a lot of that 00s era future R&B. There are also a few turns into reggae and rap, and in those moments we are reminded of Shawnna’s debut album.
Over the 20 tracks, C.P. covers a lot of subject matter. After the introduction, she starts off as every good debut artist should—telling us her story. It’s been a difficult journey for C.P., which she shares very openly on “Straitryda”, from the passing of her mother, the suicide of the father of her child, abuse…she really pulls no punches in letting you know exactly where she is coming from. But most shocking of all is how little the album dwells on what could turn out to be a sorrowful suite of songs. In fact, we think “Chronological Ballistics” is a joyful album that shines most when C.P. just takes us to the dance floor for a good time. There’s a power in being able to find joy in the shadow of darkness, and that appears to be C.P.’s testament.
Our favorite tracks by far are the party anthems, and C.P. seems to be begging for a viral dance challenge with “Funky Lou” and “Oly Oxen Free.” Like the electric slide, cupid shuffle and stanky leg, C.P. is not afraid to step into the spotlight and declare a new dance. The tracks are extremely catchy—some real earworm material there—and you can definitely see them bringing audiences to the floor to execute the accompanying dance number. “Party @ The Club” is also a banger, which simply states the desire to party. With so much moody and broody R&B these days, it’s refreshing to hear a straight down the middle “let’s dance” kind of track.
Outside of the dance numbers, our favorite track is “Winner”—another future R&B track whose harmonies in the chorus reminds us so much of TLC. It’s a great way to close a strong project, and nice bookend to the introductory recitation of darkness—emerging the winner.
As she tells us in the intro, chronological means the order of time while ballistics refers to the science of projectiles. I guess that it means it’s C.P.’s time to soar.
Allegra - Round & Round (ft Tiësto)
Round & Round - Allegra (ft Tiësto) (EDM) Allegra brings epic vibes with her new bop, “Round & Round”. This track is made for the dance club with dark Euro vibes abound, and reminds us of the “Get On The Floor” days of J Lo. It’s a throbbing beat, with swirling synths and vocal reverbs elevating the song into something grandiose in scale. This isn’t a dance floor at your local bar, this is a track for your five level club with strobes and fog machines, where you’re standing shoulder to shoulder and it’s going to take you an hour to figure out where your friends went. We particularly enjoyed the choir joining in with each chorus, which conjures the image of Allegra as a goddess elevated above her subjects below, who chant as she commands the room. With “Round & Round”, Allegra gives DJs an excellent lead in or lead out to “Padam Padam” this summer.
Proklaim - STARFALL
STARFALL - Proklaim (Rap) In our finale of today’s trilogy, we have Proklaim’s “STARFALL”, which he self describes in the intro as “smooth as a glass of red wine”—we don’t disagree. There’s more of an R&B flavor here, with a tight snare, snap and hat concoction creating some excellent ear candy, all on top of twinkling rhodes. Proklaim takes his commentary from social constructs to interpersonal relationships and love, delivering a flow that is impressively rapid fire, creating a percussion line of its own. We also get a classic Proklaim hook—a plush catchy layered vocal that again beckons for an audience call and response.
Best Lyric: “Making the days count, begin with the hours.”
Proklaim - CIVIL
CIVIL - Proklaim (Rap) Next up, we’ve got Proklaim’s “Civil”, diving a bit more into the socially conscious. It’s another sweet spot for Proklaim, using his smooth rap flow to criticize the current state of the world. In “Civil”, he does so over a hypnotic afrobeat sound, flushed out by a piano progression and a sax riff that add an element of live band to the track. We also get Proklaim’s “sing along” style of hook—in “Civil” Proklaim encourages audience engagement with an infectious chorus of “heys” and “yays” that we can safely assume gets his live audience involved when performing. It’s yet another way Proklaim structures his music to deliver his analytical messages.
Best Lyric: “Many scrolling on the internet they want to search, but don’t know what for.”
Proklaim - RIGHTEOUS
RIGHTEOUS - Proklaim (Rap) We’ve got another triple play of reviews this week for our most featured artist on this blog, the prolific Proklaim. Tapping into his usual positive vibes and Fugees/Kendrick sound blend, Proklaim continues to preach in his music—this time about operating from a space of love and living life to the fullest. Thinking on this more, Proklaim really is a rapper slash preacher slash motivational speaker with his music, using fresh beats to capture, silky flow to seduce and a powerful message to intrigue. In “Righteous”, he does so with a minimalist, haunting production, led by some enchanting chimes and backed by his expected lush background vocals. As always, we are excited to hear what’s next.
Best Lyric: “Know the real deal before you turn to soil.”
Grace McLean - Albertine
Albertine - Grace McLean (Pop) Grace McLean’s latest track, “Albertine” is a rousing love song with a lush and driving production. The title track from her most recent EP, Grace delivers andexpressive and delicate vocal, rising to a powerful belt by the end—it would not surprise us if Grace had a musical theater background as the song sounds like it could storm a stage. Her tone is honey, pure and airy, with the breaths left in the track to give some delicious intimacy. The instrumental grows throughout, beginning minimalist but reaching a peak with a hard hitting percussion in the final moments. Our favorite section, however, is the stirring bridge with the reverb on the vocal upped just slightly to make a beautiful moment.
Best Lyric: “I’ve forgotten how to leave.”
Ramo Z - The Holy Land.
Ramo Z - The Holy Land. (Rap) Ramo Z is delivering a timely number about the Israel/Hamas war and the brutal impact on the the Palestine people in “The Holy Land.”. Ramo Z pulls no punches on the topical track, clearly conveying his personal connection to the tragedy, criticizing not only Israel but US involvement. This is all done over an oldschool hiphop instrumental reminiscent of late 90s and early 00s social conscious rap, painting a bleak soundscape that mirrors the subject matter. Ramo Z also smartly uses a Middle Eastern styled vocal leap to help tie the sonics of the track to the subject. Meaningful and passionate with clever and thoughtful lyrics, Ramo Z delivers something truly impactful.
Best Lyric: “People are dying in the place that was a zion.”
Liam Keegan - Come Alive
Come Alive - Liam Keegan (EDM) Liam Keegan’s latest track, “Come Alive”, lives up to its name by delivering an uplifting dance banger. Led by a pure tenor vocal, “Come Alive” is one of those perfect summertime dance numbers, conjuring images of an afternoon outdoor party, cocktails in hand and summer sun beaming down. Containing all the great EDM elements from the momentum driving risers to the house keys, the track succeeds in exploring levels and distinguishing different moments within the track, elevating the song from the normal power through house beat to a true top charting mainstream pop endeavor. This is one you put on repeat.
Best Lyric: “Let me show you so you know you’re the one that I want.”
JACØB - Secrets
Secrets - JACØB (Pop) JACØB delivers a perfect pop gem with pop/R&B banger “Secrets.” The track is about a secret love, a strong connection that has to be kept on the low. The song feels like a Billboard 100 hit of the 2000s—Justin Bieber should be jealous—or even a modern Ed Sheeran track. The strong pop vocal is supported by some lush harmony walls and some expertly crafted verb effects that show off the professionalism of the overall production. Add to that that the track is incredibly catchy, and certainly hits that prized demographic of teens/twenties with a sound with enough retro influences to capture the interest of older audiences as well. There’s no reason this one shouldn’t be on the radio with today’s stars—stellar.
Best Lyric: “You talk to me like there’s nobody that can make you feel the same.”
Zarah Westhouse - English Violin in Love
English Violin in Love - Zarah Westhouse (Pop) A solo artist is creating a duet on her anthemic track “English Violin in Love” where Zarah Westhouse’s vocal equally shares the spotlight with a stunning violin performance. The vocal is lilting and mysterious, which matches the Swiss artist’s desire for anonymity in her artistry, singing about yearning for love from someone who has none to give. That vocal deliver leads into an emotional and impressive violin performance that truly soars, which serves to take equal billing as a lead on the track. The overall sound of the track is anthemic and prime for dance and club mixes, with a feel from the 2010s—there’s an Ellie Goulding vibe to it.
Best Lyric: “I wanna love you, but you don’t want it’.”
Ray Wills - Feel A Vibe
Feel A Vibe - Ray Wills (R&B) Ray Wills is certainly making us feel a vibe in his latest track “Feel A Vibe”, a song about wanting more of a commitment from someone who’d rather keep things more casual. Much like the hypnosis that Ray is trapped in, the track certainly casts a hypnotic spell with its heavy reverb, mysterious synth and padds, overlaid with a crisp trap percussion, thudding kick and distressed buzzy bass lead. For all it’s eeriness, it certainly has that knock. But we shouldn’t forget as we get lost in the otherwordly lush production that Ray is bringing the vocals with a strong and emotive performance. “Feel A Vibe” belongs on every chillwave playlist, as it certainly permeates the body and puts one into a trance.
Best Lyric: “You’re a siren and I’m hypnotized’.”
IN Kelly - Sleepwalker
Sleepwalker - IN Kelly (Dream Pop) IN Kelly delivers a dreamy toe-tapper with latest track “Sleepwalker.” There’s a nostalgic feel to this record, with elements of the 80s in the vocal line with the melancholy of mid 90s alternative rock in the overall feel. There’s also a new wave british sensibility as well, which when joining together brings an emotional heaviness to the track. The chorus has the catchiness of a commercial pop song, while the soul of the track remains in the indie space. It’s also a highly textured production, with a swirling synth line sliced by a buzzy bass lead and crisp percussion tops, providing a fusion of the electronic and the acoustic for a unique sonic ID.
Best Lyric: “Sailed away in your nightgown.”
Don Josef - Villain
Villain - Don Josef (Pop) Don Josef has no trouble being your bad guy in his latest track “Villain”, the second single of his upcoming EP due this year. Retro vibes abound in “Villain”, specifically in the soulful and impassioned vocal delivery, lifted by melodic synths that paint an ethereal mood. While the vocal is the star od rhw reXK, the beat by GRIZD and production by Rich La Flame pulls along beautifully, evoking the imagery of trudging through a muddy landscape towards salvation. The falsetto adlibs shine which along with the crispy percussion add texture to the track. Engaging and impactful, we think “Villain” is one of those “sing along in the shower” type cuts.
Best Lyric: “We just two strangers, we collidin’ no hidin’.”
Kiey - white boy i sat next to on the plane
white boy i sat next to on the plane - Kiey (Pop) Kiey delivers a lilting song of yearning in “white boy i sat next to on the plane”. On the track, Kiey finds himself drawn to a stranger in an unexpected an overwhelming way, despite having a lover of his own back home. The mood of unsettling temptation is set by a haunting piano and analogue fuzz with a thudding kick driving the track forward, with the story told through poetic and memorable lyrics delivered by an angelic tenor. The song has a grandiose feeling, with a delicious key change in the bridge keeping things interesting. Put this one on your chillwave playlist.
Best Lyric: “Curly brown hair like a Greek statue.”