Album Review: Breaking All Th Rules – ThBenj

THBENJ‘s latest project, ‘Breaking All Th Rules’, which follows up from his 2019 debut album ‘T.H.B – the blog’s number one album of 2019 – and takes on a more sinister and darker route than its predecessor.

A downtempo bass runs along the airy (almost electronic backdrop), often accompanied by chant-like overtones are the main ingredients in the first half of the 19-track set, which somewhat has an air of melancholy. Further along the line, the downtempo grit is incorporated with smooth guitar plucks (in tracks ‘Y’ and ‘Thank You All’) which gives a fresher feel to the combo. The rich soulful undertones in ‘Just A Little More’ gives the album’s sparse theme a full dimensional urban feel, before leading out on a high with a tingling sensation from a melodic outro (Fkn Chill).

I’ve listened to tracks, ‘Y’, ‘Reasons’ and ‘Champagne’ prior to the release of this album, and nothing prepared me for what was coming. If you couldn’t tell from this review, I’m really digging this album and my hat comes off (once again) for this credible artist on-a-serious-rise. Check him out below

Must Listens: Different Sounds, Thank You All, Y Th F Do You Care, Flip IT, Nobody’s Gonna Give It, Rest Of My Life

I M U R Share Single ‘Birdseye’, Out Today

Consisting of singer/songwriter Jenny Lea, producer/guitarist Mikey J Blige, and producer/multi-instrumentalist Amine Bouzaher, genre bending trio I M U R has unveiled their reflective new single, ‘Birdseye,’ taken from their album, ‘My Molecules’ out this month, 25th June. The forthcoming project thematically touches on topics that everyone has experience with but that are often not discussed publicly, such as love, lust, loss, death, trauma and purpose.

Their offering takes inspiration from Lea’s near-death experience in a car accident and serves as a reminder that simply stepping back and taking a breath can be the difference between losing your mind and appreciating your day-to-day life.

Have a listen to ‘Birdseye’ below…

Fabian Secon Returns With Single, ‘Hey Girl’

Genre-bending artist, FABIAN SECON has returned with his brand-new single, ‘Hey Girl’, which taps into his love for pop-punk.

Speaking of his latest release, Fabian says, “I’ve always wanted to expand more into the punk/pop-punk world, as this comes very naturally to me. The melodies in my music have always been inspired by alternative, pop and rock music, so it was an obvious progression. A typical Fabian Secon track has generally been slower in tempo and chilled, so it feels great to be able to keep evolving and explore new sounds.”

Recounting the tails of a rollercoaster relationship, the self-written and produced track is another impressive addition to Fabian’s growing discography, which currently stands at a staggering 35 million streams globally across all platforms, a huge feat for the independent DIY musician.

Why not check out the accompanied visuals directed by Theo Batterham.

Song of the Day: Think – The Optical Illusion

Following up on the releases of ‘Shine so Bright’ and ‘Travesty of Justice’, THE OPTICAL ILLUSION returns, once again, to the blog’s Song of the Day top spot with latest single, ‘Think’, a thought provoking, David Bowie-esque piece which offers much optimism following horrific events of 2020.

Check it out below and let us know what you think – no pun intended!

Check out Toosii’s New Video For Track, ‘Red Die’

After celebrating the release of his new mixtape, ‘Thank You For Believing’, and his latest career milestone – surpassing one billion combined global streams across all of his songs – TOOSII is back with a new video, ‘Red Die’. Filled with friends, cash and cars, the clip’s joyful sense of comradery is balanced by Toosii’s memories of loved ones who have departed and the existential questions that haunt him – “Ask God ‘why me?’/Must be two sides to the story siamese.”

‘Red Die’ is the closing track from ‘Thank You For Believing’, which debuted in the top 25 of the Billboard 200. Other standout tracks include ‘What It Cost” and ‘Back Together,’ which appeared on XXL’s weekly list of “best new songs.”

Toosii has proven to be one of rap’s most relatable rising stars. While his career has been percolating in North Carolina for years, Toosii found staggering success in February 2020 on the strength of Platinum Heart. The album hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Albums chart and launched Toosii into the top 10 of Rolling Stone’s Breakthrough 25 chart. He quickly followed those achievements with Poetic Pain in September 2020. Toosii earned his first Gold record in January 2021 – for his top 10 Urban radio hit, ‘Love Cycle’. He is Audiomack’s latest #UpNow artist and Billboard named him as an artist to watch, noting, “Toosii is coming for the crown.”

Check out the video for ‘Red Die’, was directed by NoRatchetss, who helmed the official video for the title song from Toosii’s Poetic Pain.