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Nuka-Naka – Stone D: A Soul-Stirring Fusion of Avant-Garde Reggae and Reflection

Posted on 1 January 2024

Nuka-Naka’s latest single, Stone D, is a profound musical journey that transcends the conventional boundaries of reggae. As Nuka-Naka steps away from the shadows of war-torn Russia, Stone D emerges as a hauntingly beautiful confession, a blend of personal history and musical innovation.

The song reimagines reggae, intertwining staccato rhythms with melancholically avant-garde melodies. It’s a bold departure from reggae roots, inviting listeners to cast aside their preconceptions and embrace a new realm of musical expression. After leaving Russia for Georgia, Nuka-Naka composed a guilt-ridden soliloquy that speaks to the inescapable ties of one’s homeland, regardless of the physical distance.

The song captures the essence of being perpetually connected to a war that continues to echo in a mournful psyche as the fusion of soulful blues and dreamy art-rock elements meld into this candid piece creating a sonic signature that is as evocative as it is ground-breaking.

Nuka-Naka’s Stone D is a reminder of the power of music to transcend barriers and speak to the soul. It’s a track that not only showcases Nuka-Naka’s immense talent but also promises a future rich with innovative and emotionally resonant music. For those seeking a fresh, soul-stirring sound, Stone D is a beacon of hope and artistic brilliance.

Stone D was officially released on December 22. Stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nikki Hayes proves the power of vulnerability in her sensually captivating RnB evolution, SAFE

Posted on 17 December 2023

Nikki Hayes‘ latest RnB single, SAFE, showcases her unique ability to blend soulful vocals with a rich, resonant soundscape. It’s an aural revelation that resonates deeply with the listener, cutting to the core of the emotions it explores.

From the outset, SAFE captivates with its dreamy yet potent composition. The basslines, infused with a rich funk, provide a robust foundation that complements the ethereal quality of the track. This fusion of dreaminess with funk creates a soundscape that is both soothing and invigorating. The addition of blues-infused guitars adds another layer to the song, enhancing its emotional depth and complexity.

Hayes’ vocal performance is nothing short of enchanting. Her voice, both powerful and delicate, conveys a paradoxically beguiling sense of vulnerability and strength. The lyrics, which speak of finding safety in the arms of another in a chaotic world, are delivered with a sensuality and sincerity that is truly captivating.

Drawing inspiration from legends like Beyonce, Stevie Wonder, and Toni Braxton, Hayes has carved out a distinct sound that is both nostalgic and forward-thinking. Her journey from the basements of Chicago to collaborating with Grammy-winning artists is evident in the polished quality of SAFE. The track stands as a testament to her fearless work ethic, vocal finesse, and unwavering passion for music.

As she continues to evolve and captivate audiences with her unique sound, Nikki Hayes is undoubtedly an artist to watch.

SAFE was officially released on November 29. Stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Matt Brown will etch his way into your consciousness with his latest soul pop serenade, Everyday

Posted on 30 November 2023

Matt Brown’s neo-pop single Everyday is a soulful serenade that lingers long after the last note has faded. This contemporary crooner’s offering etches upon the listener’s consciousness with a calligraphic eloquence scarcely seen in the internet era of music as the euphonic depth of the production swells with oceanic propensities; each wave of sound carrying with it a quiescent surge of sweet beguile.

Everyday stands as a testament to the potency of razor-sharp songwriting chops as Brown’s musicality and craftsmanship are undeniably exhibited to showcase a command of sonic storytelling which captures the complexities of passion and how it can weigh heavy on the soul.

As the founder of the Soulfam Collective and a full-time musician, Matt Brown’s fluency across various instruments and styles imbues his music with an uninhibited expression; rather than marring his sound with loyalty to one genre, he teases a smorgasbord of style into his sound.

Everyday confirms Matt Brown’s place in the pantheon of artists who are not just creating music but are also moulding experiences for their listeners. With each release, including this latest gem, Brown continues to grow his presence and influence, becoming a staple in the spaces where soul and contemporary pop converge.

Everyday hit the airwaves on November 17: stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Visit ‘Valencia’ Via the Neo-Jazz Pop Grooves in George Bone’s Evocative Masterpiece of a Solo Release

Posted on 24 November 2023

George Bone stripped everything back but the soul in his latest single, Valencia, which encompasses the 00s indie pop aesthetic while pushing it forward with the ardency in the wistful yearning, the colour in the neo-jazz pop grooves, and the instrumental sparsity which ensures every instrumental works with a singular agenda to amplify the disarming effect of the emotionally raw ballad.

Valencia is the first single released by the Essex-based evocateur after stepping off his tour with The Voice UK 2019 winner Molly Hocking. If Bruno Major and Conor Albert heavily feature on your playlists, you’ll easily find space for George Bone’s sonic signature, which scribes itself through emotionally provoking lyricism and easy-listening melodies.

George Bone Said:

“Eponymously named after the city it takes inspiration from, Valencia transports listeners on a Mediterranean journey of both loving and longing. It encapsulates the joys of travelling with ‘The One’ – summoning wonder, happiness, and the connections you feel rarely in a lifetime – and yet the wishful thinking of those who know that ‘drinking wine and [hearing] the breaking of the tide’ is only a feeling experienced in imagination. The song represents a bond in a relationship, where memories – both good and bad – are intertwined; where hopes and dreams are dashed and made; and where love is lost and found.”

Valencia will hit the airwaves on November 24; stream it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nyasia Chane’l narrated a story of love and longing in her latest Neo-Hip-Hop-Soul release, Rain

Posted on 20 November 2023
Nyasia Chane'l

“Rain” by Nyasia Chane’l transcends your archetypal RnB track to narrate a profound lesson in seduction and soul. The trappy backbeat and tinges of 80s nostalgia create a beguiling blend of modern rhythmics and caressive old-school style as Chane’l’s honeyed vocal lines glide over the equally as smooth instrumental layers with a grace which is as powerful as it is tender to embody the track’s theme of deep, yearning lust.

Drawing inspiration from the likes of SWV, Ashanti, and New Edition, Nyasia has created a song that stands tall among classic elemental love songs. Co-written with the talents of Dajour Neufville and Jayson “J-Didda” Butler, “Rain” captures the essence of longing and connection in a way that feels both timeless and irresistibly new. It is guaranteed to strike a chord with anyone with a pulse and libido.

Nyasia Chane’l, with her multifaceted talents in singing, songwriting, and acting, emerges as an essential artist in today’s musical landscape. Her Neo-Hip-Hop Soul signature is one that any RnB fans will want perpetually etched in their memory.

Listen to Rain on Tidal and Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Misty Drinx reinvented 80s nostalgia with his soul and funk-wrapped RnB pop hit, You’re So Cool

Posted on 1 November 2023

After bearing witness to a Toto show in LA, the up-and-coming singer-songwriter and pop icon-in-the-making Misty Drinx Americanised his infectious perception of pop and lavished his sophomore single, You’re So Cool, with layers of soul and funk-wrapped RnB that radiate reinvented 80s nostalgia.

With lustfully intoxicated exoticism oozing from the pores of the sax lines and synth-driven melodies, Drinx brought swathes of colour to UK shores with You’re So Cool. Fans of George Michael and Boy George will undoubtedly want to savour every drop of the delicious aural cocktail which envelopes you in the hazy hues that transform the mind’s colour palette when you’re lucky enough to be ensnared by someone.

With the eclecticism Drinx has already exhibited in his sound, we’re stoked to hear what will follow.

You’re So Cool was officially released on October 20; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dom the Composer is Sleepwalking with Streetlights in his honeyed and hymnal soul single

Posted on 13 October 2023

Since releasing his debut single in 2019, Dom the Composer has summoned his signature sound through rhythmic reverence, a never-ending proclivity towards blues and the determination to lavish even his most pensive singles with soul.

His latest single, Sleepwalking with Streetlights, created in collaboration with Novian Wright proves his time with the All Saints Choir of Men and Boys in Ashmont didn’t go to waste. His hymnal and honeyed vocal register instantly arrests the soul as the bluesy melodies work their magic on your rhythmic pulses before Novian Wright brings a sense of dynamism with his rap bars that effortlessly complement the MA-hailing Haitian-American singer-songwriter’s intoxicating timbre.

Sleepwalking with Streetlights is perfect for those late nights when your demons drive you to the point of distraction, retrospective regret wracks you with the compulsion for action and there is no appeasing your restlessly listless mind. It is a sublime testament to an artist who is clear in his determination to let trends pass him by and stay on his own euphonically enlightened path of delivering uninhibited vulnerability and originality.

Sleepwalking with Streetlights was officially released on September 28; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Remmorii is visionary in his fear and faith-mused alt-hip-hop release, Before I Drown

Posted on 12 October 2023

Toronto’s most captivatingly introspective artist, Remmorii, used faith and fear as a muse in his latest organically electrifying release, Before I Drown, which lets candour cascade around the multicultural synthesis of style.

The experimentalism which breathed visceral life into the single to juxtapose the ennui in the lyrical delivery ensured that no one has a stronger stake in the claim of being one of the most authentically dynamic artists on any scene.

Before I Drown is beyond genre boundaries; it transcends them through the depth of the exploration of personal struggles. To balance the dark with the light, Remmorii infused incandescent optimism around the soulful hip-hop and RnB layers by sonically paving a path towards providence and hope for better days when you’re not treading water for survival, you’re making major strides towards personal growth.

Before I Drown was officially released on September 29: stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Murphy put her jazz and soul into existential philosophy with her latest single, Glitch

Posted on 9 October 2023

The NYC-hailing soulstress Murphy brought in a new era of indie soul pop and added a new trajectory to the evolution of existential philosophy with her latest slicked with jazz and hooked with funk single, Glitch.

Traversing everything from the meaning of life to its origin, Glitch is a deeply introspective hit which infectiously explores the potential of a society-shaking glitch to set us free. If the soberingly sublime single doesn’t leave you deep in thought, that may just be a sign you need to stop swimming in the shallows of perception and start swimming in infinitely more profound pools; diving in with Murphy is the perfect vantage point to take the plunge.

She’s got the voice, a mind that would make Sartre quiver, and a golden ear for a melody; it is safe to say that she’s the epitome of a triple threat; we can’t wait to hear what comes next.

Glitch was officially released on September 29; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Susie McCollum – New Year’s Eve: part love song, part soulful indie-folk ode to bitter-sweet tradition

Posted on 28 September 2023

If it isn’t too early for commercial stores to deck their aisles with items that prove we’re in the midst of a consumer-industrial complex, it isn’t too early to pontificate on what will be the staple fixtures on our holiday playlists, especially when the singles are as superlatively resolving as New Year’s Eve from the folk singer-songwriter Susie McCollum.

Part love song, part soulful indie-folk ode to bitter-sweet tradition, the loungey and luxe feel of the NYC singer-songwriter’s debut single allows you to slip into a reflective sanctuary of a soundscape. The gentle piano keys against the minimalist acoustic guitars construct an absorbing platform for McCollum’s endlessly sonorous harmonic notes to drift into as the lyrics go beyond the commodification of the holiday, which, whether we like it or not, forces us to take sentimental stock of the year gone by and anticipate what we’ll be grateful for next year.

However you choose to spend it this year, there isn’t a situation McCollum can’t elevate with her Joni Mitchell, Norah Jones and Janis Ian-esque sound.

Add New Year’s Eve to your Spotify playlists now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast