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Best Neo Soul Music Blog

You trapped me in: Bay Area’s Juno Khrøme felt so stuck in those dangerous games on Paralyze

Posted on 1 August 2023

Feeling those sweetly intoxicating lips which are delectable and terrifyingly alluring each time, Juno Khrøme knows that he was played and lied to and can’t seem to disentangle himself from the spiderweb which has him cocooned inside like a mummy on Paralyze.

Juno Khrøme is a Bay Area, USA-based shades-sliding indie genre-floating artist and music producer who is inspired by jazzy beats, neo-soul brilliance and those funky disco tunes to lose all bad moods with.

Featuring nonfunctioning hearts, love lost and much regret, Juno Khrøme’s Paralyze is a masterful maze into the romantic intentions of those who don’t mean to cause carnage…but ultimately do anyway. Is this what dating is in 2023? Confusing and filled with hazardous potholes. Or a message to be cautious about who we let into our beds at night?

Paralyze from Bay Area, USA-based indie music producer and musician Juno Khrøme is a story that will soar minds into a thrilling but ultimately haunting zone which won’t let go.

Feeling like a misplaced zombie and reminiscing us through a single which is excellent in nature and warns us about those temptations which will take innocent souls into the dark.

Cautioning us about the dangers of a hazardous love, it will be hard not to relate to this song.

Listen up loud on Spotify and forget everything else.

See more vibes on the IG music page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Mario Bonds fired with all soul cylinders blazing in his sensually bold single, Chocolate

Posted on 26 July 2023

Meet the D’Angelo of this decade by streaming his latest sensuality-swathed RnB single, Chocolate. Mario Bonds is best known for his appearances on The Glee Project, American Idol, and Blind Love; when the Washington DC native isn’t cooking up melting pots of 80s-inspired neo-soul, he’s inspiring millions as a fitness model, motivational speaker, and writer.

Around proving that adverse odds are there to be beaten, the blind songwriter and RnB crooner invites his fans into dreamily decadent singles. Chocolate stands as the ultimate testament to his ability to cook up a soulful storm with his ear candy vocal melodies and instrumentals that groove around romantic motifs. Even though there’s no anticipating what Mario Bonds will pull out of the pipeline next, if there is anything constant in his discography, it is the boldly sexual empowerment he delivers to his brothers and sisters.

Chocolate was officially released on July 7th; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Keep your RnB playlists pious with Freedom Worship’s single, I’m Gone

Posted on 17 July 2023

Keep your summer RnB playlists pious with ‘Summer Vibes The EP’ from Freedom Worship; the collaborative sun-soaked EP was created with the vision of providing the ultimate soundtrack to the summer while keeping gospel at the core of the soul. It is safe to say the passionate group of enthusiastic artists who banded together from a range of backgrounds succeeded in their mission.

Driven by their belief that they can positively influence the direction of culture, the limitless artists and innovators orchestrated one of the smoothest RnB releases of 2023. The standout single, I’m Gone, featuring vocals from Charlie Hill, is the perfect reflective soundscape for chilled summer nights. With lyrics that show you the way to humbled and emboldened gratitude and vocal lines so consoling that the single becomes a sanctuary, I’m Gone delivers endless solace to faith followers and those who find their own path alike.

Stream I’m Gone with the rest of the 5-track EP via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Bristol singer-songwriter Dolly Doo put the soul into ephemeral connections with ‘Aint Nothing Serious’

Posted on 14 July 2023

Hook-up culture may get a superficial rep, but as the siren of soul, Dolly Doo, alludes to in her latest single, Aint Nothing Serious, no-strings-attached arrangements can be the ultimate ephemeral remedy.

The jazzy RnB pop amalgam is an extension of the Bristol-based singer-songwriter’s limitless genre fluidity; whichever stylistic territories her harmonically ethereal vocal lines and richly Elysian instrumentals drift into as she is following the muse, one thing remains a constant, the grace with which she brings to life her complex metaphorical concepts.

Her songwriting style and the genre pools she dips her superlative toe into evoke a certain amount of nostalgia, but there is just enough contemporary light bleaching her harmonious hits to give her sound swathes of contemporary appeal.

With a debut EP in the pipeline and performances at Boomtown and Bristol Harbourside Festival behind her, she is definitively one to watch.

Aint Nothing Serious will be available to stream from July 14 on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Never Do You Wrong: Rumi drops lovetorn debut single Amelia

Posted on 8 July 2023

Showing so much calmness despite being let down so much by his ex-lover who showed her true colours via a voice message, Rumi has dropped a rather hot first track to get our moods into a hugely reflective place on Amelia.

Rumi is an emerging London-based afrobeats/afropop artist with a Nigerian heritage who has made a single to remember here as our hearts are flown into a moment that so many of us have felt rather intensely before.

This is a promising debut from Rumi who sings with deep meaning and heartfelt honesty about a moment which causes fragile souls to break in half.

Amelia from the exciting newcomer Rumi is a quite dynamic single which will change moods and take us back into a whole different world. There is raw emotion here which might get many to think twice about opening their heart, in a swipe-quick world which will ghost you in a nanosecond.

Turn this up louder on Spotify.

Check out the IG for more news.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Get close to Kameron Waller with his psycho-sonic soul single, Therapy

Posted on 31 May 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTywV4XsFhs

As smooth, sultry, and cinematic as the most iconic items in D’Angelo’s discography, the standout single, Therapy, from Kameron Waller’s EP, Rose Coloured Lens, is a postcard to 80s nostalgia, signed, sealed, and delivered with modernist lyricality. If you need a late night soul fix, delve into the smorgasbord of it superlatively laid out in Therapy.

After finding his voice in church choirs while independently writing songs, Kameron Waller was primed to make his unforgettable 2022 debut with his single, Traveler. The Maryland-born and raised soul singer has scribed his unique sonic signature through the amalgam of powerfully smooth vocals, lyrical storytelling and focus on honest emotion and empowerment. All of which are present in the confessionally fervent release, Therapy. By the time you reach the outro, you could very well be left with unrealistic romantic expectations.

Stream the official video for Therapy via YouTube or purchase the single via apple music.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Play That Funky “Bound by Desire” Till You Die

Posted on 13 May 2023

Smooth Retsina Glow’s “Bound By Desire” is a funky and infectious party anthem that is sure to get people up and dancing. The song features a pulsating muted guitar riff that drives the groove, complemented by virtuosic unison sections from the band that add to the energy and excitement.

Smooth Retsina Glow is a band from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, that has been gigging hard and releasing music for four years. Their upcoming album, Gemini Reign, promises to continue their streak of electrifying and soulful music. The band’s latest single, also titled “Gemini Reign,” has been making waves across the globe since its release on April 1, 2023. With radio stations in the UK, Japan, Canada, and Australia charting the song high in weekly playlists, it’s clear that Smooth Retsina Glow is a band with a bright future.

“Bound By Desire” is a standout track from Smooth Retsina Glow’s discography, showcasing their ability to create infectious funk/disco grooves that are impossible to resist. The song’s catchy melody and driving rhythm are expertly crafted and showcase the band’s tight musicianship. With Colin Wolf’s smooth vocals, Sarah Stoll’s soulful backing vocals, Jacob Wolfe’s grooving bass, and Brian Derkacs’ tight drumming, “Bound By Desire” is a testament to Smooth Retsina Glow’s musical prowess.

Overall, “Bound By Desire” is a must-listen for anyone looking for a fun and energetic party track. Smooth Retsina Glow’s unique blend of funk, disco, and soul creates a sound that is both classic and fresh. With Gemini Reign on the horizon, it’s clear that Smooth Retsina Glow is a band to watch in the coming years.

The Cinematic with Soul Alt-Rock Originators, Underblue, Will Wrench Your Heart Strings with ‘Hold On’

Posted on 9 May 2023
https://soundcloud.com/officialunderblue/hold-on-1/s-559ighovA93?in=officialunderblue/sets/maybe-now/s-BpdS4Ok66Bd&si=8916f5a5546a4993b9827910ab17ed9c&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

‘Hold On’ is the latest slice of filmic funk born from the ingenuity and superlative talent possessed by the NYC alt-rock outfit, Underblue, who have been creating inner-city waves since 2016.

This seminal release is an undeniable testament that it is their time. The soulfully smoky siren-ESQUE vocal lines from Kimberly Torres, the devilishly jazzy basslines from Simon Luk, and the ornate flourishes from keyboardist Ilvi Calderon is almost too much alchemy to handle – almost. Entwined with the guitars that straddle the timbres of the Cramps and My Bloody Valentine and the drums that punctuate the soundscape with flair, Hold On is a progressively interstellar triumph.

With heavy, hopeful, happy, and heart-wrenching being the cornerstones of the ethos behind the upcoming LP, you’re damn right you should save space on your radar for the powerhouse, which has enough innovation between them to rival Mars Volta – not an overstatement.

Hold On will officially release on May 19th followed by the full album on June 9th. Hear it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Just Like Honey: Maya’s Radio Orchestra Let the Light in with her jazz blues rendezvous, Suntrap

Posted on 3 May 2023
https://soundcloud.com/mayasradioorchestra/suntrap/s-SzD5YkM1Cav?si=bb9f31ab5e3446218e53aa0d7eb231ce&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Maya’s Radio Orchestra brought sun-bleached luminosity by the smorgasbord with her latest baroquely beguiling single, Suntrap. Just as the sun illuminates dust when it hits a room, the radiance in Suntrap through the honeyed vocals and swirling harps suspend the dusty underground jazz bars while the piano arrangement underpins the warm arrangement; contributed to by producer Lauren Gilmour’s scintillating synth lines. With the dreamy and lofty drum fills bringing a lemon slice of Portishead-reminiscent glamour, Suntrap becomes a sonic plateau that you will want to visit time and time again.

Maya says: “When I wrote this song, it was the end of February, and the midst of a very long dark, damp, Glasgow winter, and I was feeling very down. We underestimate how difficult the winter in Scotland can be, all whilst having to continue with our day-to-day lives as if we’re not affected by nature and the lack of sunlight.

Writing this song was my way of processing this uncomfortable realisation that capitalism and the need for productivity are incompatible with our human nature and that it’s having a detrimental effect on our communal mental health.”

Maya is a Glasgow-based British-Nepali singer-songwriter, harpist, pianist and vocalist. She is highly revered for her texturally intricate harmonies, which cathartically coalesce with her classy instrumentation and lyricality that unravels as conceptually philosophical poetry.

The sun will hit the airwaves on May 3rd. Stream Suntrap on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Unshackle your soul with Imelda Gabs’ latest alt-RnB single, Free Spirit

Posted on 29 April 2023

The innovative soul singer Imelda Gabs took back control in her empoweringly enlightening alt-RnB single, Free Spirit, which is just one of the standout singles on her debut LP, Synopsis. The track is for anyone that has ever encountered a fuckboy/girl and been left reeling with questions confounded by insecurity and self-doubt when actions have no cohesion with their words in the cold light of day when they’ve had the usury way.

Any fans of the Weeknd will be instantly enamoured by the synthetically sweet instrumentals that fuse elements of future pop with the soul of RnB to create the perfect platform for her vocal lines as they evolve from ethereal to convectively powerful.

‘Moving on’ songs proliferate the airwaves, but few lyricists prove that the pen is mightier than the sword as well as Imelda Gabs, who will take you on an inner-healing journey with this introspectively emboldening release which takes all of the guilt away from naivety.

Free Spirit hit the airwaves on April 14. Catch it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast