Natalie Clark - Nothing Left to Lose

Nothing Left to Lose Natalie Clark (Pop)  Natalie Clark returns to us for the sixth time with her latest track “Nothing Left to Lose”, following our prior reviews for “A Place Called Home”, “MIRACLE”, “Mission”, “Freedom” and “How High.” On this latest number, Natalie strips it down to acoustic guitar, gaining a fuller band as we progress through the track, as she wistfully reviews the dreams and goals of her past self, lamenting her history of making herself smaller and giving into anxiety. The vocals are beautiful, as we’ve come to expect, and understated—we can feel the vulnerability in the performance. Ultimately, Natalie decides that the time is now to go and achieve all of the things she’s ever dreamed, and to step into her power with confidence and go boldly. It’s a rousing, anthemic number for sure, but there is one thing we don’t understand. With talent like this, why would Natalie ever hold herself back? ;)

Best Lyric: “I’ll put it on the line for you. Nothing left to lose.”

Rosie Belvie - Survive

Survive - Rosie Belvie (Dance) Rosie Belvie is back on the blog with latest track “Survive”, following her grand entrance into the music scene with prior single “Attitude.” On her first single, we were getting all the 00s R&B vibes with a mix of Blu Cantrell with Missy E proteges. On “Survive”, Rosie is showing us she is no one trick pony—this is a pure EDM dancefloor fantasy that we were NOT expecting—think “Til The World Ends” by Britney if it were much, much HARDER. With a driving electro beat, Rosie allows the instrumental to take the lead at first as she describes tripping out and dancing into the night. When she reenters, we’ve got a dancefloor queen rap verse telling us all how to get down the way she demands, firmly gripping command back from the backing. Like Rosie herself, “Survive” is full of surprises.

KARMA - SIS (She's Something)

SIS (She’s Something) - KARMA (Pop/R&B) We are getting some major 3LW vibes with supergroup KARMA’s first appearance on our blog with latest track “SIS (She’s Something)”. Starting with a plucky guitar strum, we quickly venture into a pop/R&B crossover vibe that puts KARMA right in the TLC, 3LW, Blaque realm—we were specifically getting “No More” from this one. The production is top notch on the cut, as each of our ladies seamlessly pass the baton between them, sharing the spotlight pretty evenly. The deliveries are like honey, sitting right on the border between singing and rapping. Overally, there’s a dreamy quality to the number, light and breezy, as each of our ladies tells you why she’s not like the rest.

Best Lyric: “I’m no little girl I’m a woman.“

Venture Klan - The Side Effects of the Sun (EP)

The Side Effects of the Sun (EP) - Venture Klan (Hiphop) We welcome Venture Klan to our music review blog with their latest EP, “The Side Effects of the Sun”, which we think is a perfect marriage between slick beats and even slicker lyrics. There were moments on Side Effects that even had us chuckling purely due to the cleverness of the rhymes, which we’ll point out an example of below. All in all, it’s a cohesive record with a consistent sound without ever venturing into monotony, paired with an expertly executed handing off of the baton between the members of the Klan. But before we dig into our favorite tracks below, let’s talk a bit about the group.

A rising hip-hop duo from Harlem, Ave Campbell and BukDaWorld, Venture Klan hopes to evoke the spirit of their neighborhood in their music and offer a fresh expansion to the culture. Authenticity abounds in their work, as well as their comedic personalities, infectious energy and powerful narratives. The album itself is the first installment of a two-part project centered on the theme of the pros and cons of achieving success in the hiphop game from the point of view of two young artists.

First standout is album opener “Fuck What You Think”, which content wise is standard in hiphop—a braggadocious number about all of the ways in which the group is worthy of your time and attention—which is a great way to start the project. It also serves to introduce you to the sound of the record, which is an 808 founded haunting hiphop soundscape with plenty of nods to the genre’s history. The track, like the rest of the album, is ominous, and serves as a great introduction not only to the EP but also to the members of the Klan.

Our favorite track however, hands down, is “Moxie” and we do hope it gets the single treatment. Here, we get to the specifics—the Klan is doing well with women. Here is where our favorite lyric is housed—we literally chuckled at it when it happened—and it has to do with one of our Klan members’ love languages. Because we so badly want you to check out this track, we’re not going to spoil it for you. Give it a listen, we implore you.

We also want to point out album closer “Lemon”, as it is the one track that takes the biggest tonal shift. With a screeching guitar centering the track, the flows get an energy boost into rapid fire spits. It’s quite a contrast from the first entry of the EP—a smooth track about their talents—suggesting a lyrical journey of starting from quiet confidence to claiming their status in the game with their full chests.

Cohesive, smart and knocking, the Venture Klan lives up to the promises of the album opening track—they don’t just talk the talk, they deliver. Get on board now, the side offect of listening to this EP is a realization that Venture Klan is on the rise.

Tracklist:

Fuck What You Think
Moxie
That Ain’t The Case
Lemon
Tan Lines
Legend

Dax - Lonely Dirt Road

Lonely Dirt Road - Dax (Pop)  Dax returns for the ninth time on our blog with “Lonely Dirt Road”, a place of solace for Dax where he can let out his emotions, contemplate his struggles and be alone with God. Accompanied by yet another cinematic music video that Dax is known for over here, “Lonely Dirt Road” is another of Dax’s unique blend of hiphop/pop with country twang, here his strong baritone leaning into the country influence while the stripped down instrumental reminds us of 2010s hiphop crossover bops like Mary J. Blige’s “Be Without You.” Marrying the hiphop percussion and country vocal is a solemn piano that lingers back in the reverb, forming a bridge between Dax’s influences. It makes for a stirring record.

Best Lyric: “Face this evil that burdens my soul.”

Proklaim - PROSPERITY

PROSPERITY - Proklaim (Rap) With a repeating refrain of “sunshine” and “moonlight”, it’s only apt that Proklaim’s latest track “PROSPERITY”, has the feel of a clear night sky full of twinkling stars. Preaching from the mound, on Proklaim’s latest track he continues to embody positive thinking, letting his followers know that only good things come when shedding your life of negative influences. Clearly written and recorded recently, as we get a nice little jab at Diddy’s recent woes, Proklaim’s layered rhymes infuse into a sparkling production of chest thumping percussion and soulful piano and string arrangements. Another beautiful track paired with a necessary message.

Best Lyric: “Devil’s always printing counterfeit.“

MUNZER - Keep It Real

Keep It Real - MUNZER (Rap). Yooooo. MUNZER here is taking us back to our college days in his amped up, super hype new single “Keep It Real.” There’s so much to love about this one, giving us retro 00s in all the best ways. Overall, the production reminds us a lot of that era of Timbaland—specifically “Parking Lot”—while there’s also a playful flute in the background that reminds us a lot of “Candy Shop.” And speaking of 50 Cent, the flow in the verses reminded us a lot of him, with the chorus giving us the feel of Fat Joe’s “Lean Back.” With a super fresh production and banging beat, this one hit us right in our nostalgia.

Best Lyric: “Doing the ne ne for the pay day.”

Pink Jagg - Charlie's Angels

Charlie’s Angels - Pink Jagg (Rap). Pink Jagg joins our roster here on the blog with latest track “Charlie’s Angels”, which must be incredibly fresh off the presses considering the sly reference to Diddy and NDAs (lol). The record is a dreamy one, as Pink Jagg rides the beat with a casual and melodic flow over a punchy percussion production, all as a melodic guitar lilts in the back like a palm tree in the breeze. It’s a track that sways and swings, intermittently interrupted by some fantastic ear candy with the background vocal punches. It’s a hypnotic track that we recommend checking out if only for its clever and unique lyrics, and we think it’ll end up in heavy rotation.

Best Lyric: “Open purse and hair all tangled, lookin like one of them Charlie’s angels.”

Grace McLean - My Lovely Enemy

My Lovely Enemy- Grace McLean (Pop) We welcome Grace McLean to this week’s roster of new music with her latest track “My Lovely Enemy”, which comes complete with a superbly produced music video. This track is a genre bending one, giving us elements of smoky jazz club, swing, funk and pop, and is not afraid to dip in and out of some strangeness with complex and interesting choices in chord structure. It’s Grace’s silky and emotive voice that gives us our jazz club feel—she is certainly a classically trained vocalist, we’d put money on it. The track itself centers Grace entirely, putting the success of the record fully on her capable shoulders. A Fiona Apple-esque delivery (think “When The Pawn” era) overlays a restrained, tense patter of a production, growing over the course of the song to become quite the splashy number. We don’t hear much like this one—”My Lovely Enemy” is something special.

Best Lyric: “These lips have touched so many things.“

Carson Ferris - FOMO

FOMO - Carson Ferris (Pop). We missed Carson! Our pop prince Carson Ferris is back for the seventh time on our blog with new release “FOMO”, following our reviews of a string of hits including “Talkin’ to You”, “Fade Away”, “1999”, “Ghosts”, “Crazy” and “Speed Limit.” Recalling those prior bops, we know that Carson’s lane is the Top 40 sounding pop track with tight modern production and Ed Sheeran influence. The guitar driven “FOMO” is no different, as our maturing artist gives us an anthemic midtempo full of yearning and angst. While we are always impressed with his production quality, we were specifically impressed by the movement of this track and build to the slamming chorus as each section of the track delightfully builds upon the prior to make for an engaging listen. Welcome back bud!

Best Lyric: “My head’s full of noise, gotta make the choice.”

Cailo - All Mine

All Mine - Cailo (Pop) We welcome Cailo to our ranks with her latest track “All Mine”, a double-shot of a track as it is available in both English and Spanish languages. Even on the English version, which is what we listened to, the latin influences are clear, with a flamenco guitar and string arrangement providing the backbone to the track. The percussion production brings drive and intensity as a lilting and vulnerable vocal delights in finally finding the one. Closing our eyes, the song conjures the image of a ballroom dance floor, and being whisked away into the night by a lover to join a crowd in intense choreography. This track is relentless and brimming with flavor.

Best Lyric: “I never knew I’d find someone who sees me eye to eye.”

Naomi Johnson - Mistake

Mistake - Naomi Johnson (Pop) Naomi Johnson joins our blog roster with latest track, “Mistake”, an R&B infused pop number featuring a duet with Dwaine Hayden. On “Mistake”, Naomi laments red flags missed, sacrifices made and the bittersweet memories of a former love gone sour. With influences of Destiny’s Child, Jazmine Sullivan, Yebba and Amy Winehouse, we hear a 00s Timbaland-like production on this one, like something he would’ve produced for Justin Timberlake back in the day made for the Top 40 charts of the era. Naomi and Dwaine’s vocals are a perfect pairing, with Naomi bringing the power and Dwaine overlaying tenderness. Don’t miss the track’s sleek music video.

Best Lyric: “What do you take me for? Who was I praying for?”

ALLEGRA - Strangers

Strangers - ALLEGRA (Pop/Dance) This week, we welcome ALLEGRA to our blog with breakup anthem “Strangers”, a Top 40 sounding crowd pleaser about wishing not only for an end to a relationship, but to cutting all ties. In a slickly produced music video, ALLEGRA leaves her ex’s apartment, fresh from the end of their relationship, heading off into the city (London we think) with her newfound freedom. It’s a driving dance track with plenty of ebbs and flows, crisp snaps chiming in to up the momentum until the full crash of the chorus. We got a lot of “We Found Love In A Hopeless Place” and “Clarity” vibes from this one, as well as the Calvin Harris produced tracks of that era.

Best Lyric: “Seven years I won’t remember you.”

Geroks - Sunshine

Sunshine - Geroks (Afrobeat) Geroks joins our blog this week with afrobeat infused track “Sunshine”, a breezy island affair with a core of emotional weight. On “Sunshine”, Geroks pines to remain in a lover’s good favor, accompanied by twinkling rhodes and a hip winding percussion production. The record contains a roiling sea of emotion, encapsulated most in Geroks’ punchy tenor vocal that soars above the instrumental production. All of these elements create a potent melancholy that borders on ballad territory, despite its mid tempo pace. The yearning is palpable on the track, which makes for an engaging listen.

Best Lyric: “Those cuts were the deepest.“

Chloe Swanson - Last Time

Last Time - Chloe Swanson (Pop) Chloe Swanson joins our roster with latest track “Last Time”, a record that truly casts a spell on the listener. This lush number tells the story of a woman entranced by a lover, slowly waking from a dream and proclaiming that this is the last time she will be drawn in. Chloe delivers a lilting and intimate soprano vocal, often layered with thick doubles and harmonies. As a guitar drives the track forward over a roiling sea of orchestration, the miasma takes a few dark turns as well, mirroring the parts in the song where Chloe gains self awareness over the spell that has been cast upon her. It’s a soul stirring number.

Best Lyric: “Intimate words, long involved stories we tell.“

Nyla Tiara Love - K1LL

K1LL - Nyla Tiara Love (Pop) We love this new track from Nyla Tiara Love, her latest single “K1LL”, and welcome her to our review blog. Recorded at musical partner RICHI’s childhood home, Nyla’s hyperpop record tells the story of a love that was cut off from flourishing. The entire affair is best described a plucky, from the bouncy bass to the chipper synths, giving that great juxtaposition of melancholy subject matter to upbeat instrumental that always leads to great pop records. Apparently the sound is a shift for Nyla, whose breezy vocals slice through the thick production, as she mostly has a resume of new soul, thus showing her versatility and musicality. At a brisk 1:38, we only wish it was longer! Oh well, guess we’ll just have to put it on repeat. :)

Best Lyric: “Hazel eyes, white lies.”