Tag: soul

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.

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New Track: Addict – Louis Baker

LOUIS BAKER has leaped onto NEW LEASE MUSIC’s midweek hotspot with his most soulful single to date, ‘Addict’.

This increasingly popular New Zealand artist evokes classic soul through a seductive ‘70s bass groove and Motown-esque guitar stabs, which showcases a mellifluous vocal range and primal R&B scream. ‘Addict’ perfectly displays Baker’s multi-instrumentalist talents, as he plays the role of bassist, guitarist, lead and backing vocalist on this track.

The confessional single follows previous effort, “Gave It All Away”, which was aired on BBC 6Music and received online praises from Clash, Line of Best Fit, Indie Shuffle, EarMilk and MTV.

Go on, smooth over your Humpday; check out ‘Addict’.

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Song of the Day: Magic – Bree

Earlier this year, new R&B artist BREE released two new singles, ‘Addiction’ and ‘Magic’ which both received major spins from Coast to Coast Live Radio & 2HotRadio.com. It was a hard task but after much deliberation, ‘Magic’ made it to today’s hotspot as the slick number is built on her notable reputation of emerging a modern twist on smooth 90’s style-R&B and soul (think of The-Dream and Jeremih) with the result that can be wrapped up in one word: dynamic.

Described by her fans as a triple threat, the Chicago singer, songwriter and actress has performed in various states including Iowa, Indianapolis,Wisconsin and Chicago and is preparing for live performances this summer: opening up for The Weekend in Phoenix Arizona (a competition in ATL for a Grand prize up to $50,000); A 2017 BET AWARDS Investment deal opportunity up to $30K and The 2017 Coast to Coast Live Competition for a Cash Prize of $25K.

But right now, this smooth operator-on-the-rise is currently working on visuals for the singles – so keep an eye out for that here on NEW LEASE MUSIC.

For now, kick back and relax to ‘Magic’.

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EP Review: Blaise Pascal

Just from the strength of the first soulful effort’ I Can’t Wait’ – featured on NEW LEASE MUSIC last month – BLAISE PASCAL‘s self-titled debut EP seems like a real contender.

In the five-track set, the London-based singer/songwriter adds ambient elements of hip-hop/boom bap and reggae to smooth futuristic (ish) soul (which I suspect is his trademark) – take it from me, this newcomer is no one-trick pony.

Overall, this EP serves as a great introduction into his endless talents and it would be very intriguing to see what he does with his future releases. Worth a trial; have a listen.

Must Listens: Dead Man’s Shoes, Without You, Know Love.

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Music Video: Platinum & Gold – Basheba

basheba-black-and-gold-video

It’s evident from previous music videos that the North London dark soul singer/songwriter  BASHEBA  has a flair for creating engaging and moving visuals.

‘Platinum & Gold’ is no exception as the beautifully shot video (directed by Vasilisa Forbes with art direction from Luke Nugent) is the perfect foil for her haunting vocal delivery and sparse production courtesy of XVR BLK. Previous video ‘Don’t Go’ accumulated over 100K views on YouTube in its first two months and followed other fan favourites ‘High And Dry’ and ‘Dirty Love (Your Love)’.

Known for combining breakbeat and jungle rhythms in previous work, ‘Platinum & Gold’ continues to show a progression in sound for the young Londoner. Her ‘from the heart’ lyrics and dark soulful vocal delivery always stands out in her music, and it’s this which she has been able translate effortlessly to other areas like trip-hop, bass and R&B. It is the lead track taken from her latest EP ‘Axiom Pt. 2’ which is out now on iTunes and Spotify (via her own label Y.O.B Records) and is the second instalment of the ‘Axiom’ EP, released in April 2016.

Check out the video for this outstanding track.

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