New Track: God Bless England -HalfBrother

Steadily making their mark with their distinctive, genre defying sounds and thought-provoking observations on identity and challenging social norms and roles, Murkage Dave and Patrick Scally – aka – HALFBROTHER return with ‘God Bless England’ – a poignant reflection on post-Brexit Britain.

The song is the follow-up to the duo’s debut single ‘Go Tell The Mandem’, which was hailed by i-D as ‘quietly profound’ and ‘remarkably lucid’.

Forming after collaborating on ‘Car Bomb’ – which became a cult hit last year and culminated in support from Pharrell Williams on his Beats 1 radio show – HALFBROTHER’s unique take on alternative R&B influenced sounds has been garnering them a loyal legion of fans and catching the attention of outlets such as DIY, Earmilk and Mass Appeal.

They recently brought their first performance as a duo to The Old Blue Last as the main opening act for Star Slinger and later this year they are set to release their debut album ‘Men Can’t Protect You Anymore’ which will feature more new music and exciting collaborations with UK Hip-Hop artist Oscar #worldpeace.

 

 

Song of the Day: Gorgeous – Full Crate x Mar

Soulful Dutch duo FULL CRATE X MAR return with the first single taken from their forthcoming new collaborative EP ‘A Woman’.

New single ‘​Gorgeous’ offers a taster of the new EP combining the musical talents of producer FULL CRATE and singer MAR, which follows previous releases including ‘Nobody Else’, ‘Man x Woman’ and ‘Conversations with Her’.

The soulful duo combines on the R&B inspired ‘Gorgeous’, which is described as ‘​a story of A Woman discovering her powers within.’

This one’s a straight out winner…have a listen before you head off.

Album Review: Love, Hugh – Hugh

Last time HUGH were featured on NEW LEASE MUSIC was last September, with their upbeat and chirpy single, ‘Look at In Laughter.’ Soon as I learnt of their debut album, ‘Love, Hugh’, I had to have a peep as the infectious melodic pop overtones in ‘Look Back In Laughter’ have been swimming in mind ever since its feature on the blog.

The four piece band from London, featuring Joshua Idehen and Izzy Brooks, have been praised by BBC Radio One, The Guardian, Stereogum, i-D and Hype Machine for their balanced blend of R&B/soul and synthpop featured in the 11 track album…and quite rightly so.

However I have to say the better part of ‘Love, Hugh’ is the second half of the album. The sweet melancholic presence of pop art takes a back seat, making way for the smooth and atmospheric R&B, enhanced by a woofing electronic bass (which reminds me of Massive Attack, for some reason).

Usually, I don’t follow hypes, but this one for real.. they’re definitely worth a trial. See the recommended tracks below.

Must Listens: I Can’t Figure You Out, Protect My Heart, I Don’t Like You, Take It Slow, In and Out of Love.

New Track: Better – Ethan Breakaway

Co-written and produced with his musical dyad Jay Abdul, ETHAN BREAKAWAY‘s rhythmic debut single ‘Better’ enfolds an euphony audio contradiction with their almost nostalgic yet fresh charm of R&B crossover pop. Its catchy, simple melodies glide over the top of the glittery production with lethargic delivery with Ethan’s vocal. This then comes to a dreamy watershed moment in the middle 8 of which the song honours its nostalgic appeal with wistful chords and Ethan’s free, unrestrained vocals.

The focal lyric “No one does it better than you” recurs significantly throughout, which Ethan describes as his frustration with simplicity. “From where Jay played that riff on a very earlier stage of the production I knew where we should take it. The song represents the simply emotional state of knowing whatever shit happens, your partner should always know that no one does it better than them.”

New Track: Hit The Ceiling – Lion Babe

New York-based duo LION BABE have unveiled their song, ‘Hit The Ceiling’. Produced by the band’s own Astro Raw – aka Lucas Goodman – the summer-ready track features a psychedelic (ish)  mix of funk, soul, electronics along with singer Jillian Hervey’s signature sultry vocals.  The latest single is taken from their forthcoming new project, which is set for release this summer.

Earlier this year, the band shared the first taste of the project via the funk jam ‘Rockets’ featuring Moe Moks, which received its first look on Zane Lowe’s Beats 1 program. The forthcoming project will be the first studio release from LION BABE since their 2016 debut album, Begin. The album, which was released amid a wave of acclaim and attention, featured the career-defining singles ‘Jump Hi’ and ‘Treat Me Like Fire’ and found the duo collaborating with the likes of Pharrell Williams and Childish Gambino.

Last summer, the duo released the sun-kissed mixtape, ‘Sun Joint’, which coincided with their first headline US tour and a string of international festival performances, including Glastonbury, ESSENCE, Afropunk, Reading & Leeds and more.

Recently, LION BABE’s Astro Raw shared his debut mixtape project, ‘rawmix vol 1’. The 14-track project mixes Astro Raw’s stellar, one-of-a-kind production with his infectious, genre-defying sounds, seamlessly mixing R&B, hip-hop, soul, funk and dance…when you have the time, check it out.

For now, charge up for weekend and listen to ‘Hit the Ceiling’.