New Jersey artist cant be jake‘s “boys dont cry”, released earlier this April, is an addictive, bright offering that finds him continuing his run of memorable singles. Here, colorful pianos and bouncy, infectious percussion provide a solid foundation for the singer’s verses, as he blends together influences from hip-hop, pop, and more in his vocal performance. The verses then build into a buoyant chorus that adds expansive backing vocals beneath to conjure a layered soundscape. The latest from New Jersey’s cant be jake, “boys dont cry” follows up engaging recent offerings like “Olivia” and “desperate boy”.
“NO MORE FAVORS”, a cut from Connecticut artist Nick Rose‘s eclectic new project VERY COOL! Vol. 2, is an evocative, surreal 2-part track that caught our attention immediately. Opening with rich, warm horns that ring out alongside subtle vocal samples, “NO MORE FAVORS” opens in a grand fashion before dropping into a heavy, head-nodding groove. Here, raw drums underscore Rose’s urgent, powerful vocal performance, as he weaves emotive, personal anecdotes atop the textural production. Capping the first part of the track off with a melodic hook, Rose flexes his muscle as both a rapper and singer.
An engaging beat switch introduces wistful, glowing vocal samples swirling atop memorable bass and energizing drums. Here, Rose’s flow reaches an electrifying level of energy, as he delivers dynamic rhyme patterns at a head-spinning pace. With richly vivid lyricism peppered throughout, Rose’s verses here are captivating and raw.
If you enjoyed “NO MORE FAVORS”, go ahead and give the rest of Rose’s recent record VERY COOL! Vol. 2 a listen as well.
Brighton rapper JED has shared a new single called “17”, which finds him delivering sharply-crafted, introspective lyrics atop upbeat, moody production. Nostalgic, emotive vocal samples and ethereal guitars pair with crisp, grooving drums and bouncy 808s to craft an infectious instrumental that underscores JED’s smooth yet confident flow nicely. His verses are packed with clever lyrics and showcase his focused command of the microphone. With a wistful, memorable chorus capping off the single, “17” is an evocative track that provides much replay value. The latest from the Brighton rapper, “17” continues to show why he is a captivating new voice from the area.
Philadelphia-based artist OJ Mountain has shared a new single called “Don’t You Love Me Baby”, alongside Scarlet Wasteland. This offering continues Mountain’s run of engaging tracks that pair jazzy instrumentation with sharply-crafted lyricism. Featuring smoky instrumentation centred around rich horns and textured percussion, “Don’t You Love Me Baby” creates an immersive and layered listening experience. A laid-back, warm track with organic, infectious production and slick vocal performances, this new single is makes for a glowing, focused listen.
Femi Tahiru is a young multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter hailing from Manchester, England. After dropping his debut EP called D.E.M.O.S in 2021 Tahiru gained notoriety, going viral on TikTok and racking up 500,000 streams in just one week. Now, he’s back for more, dropping his second EP Obsidian just 8 months later, and it is ridiculously good. Sweet, lush, catchy, and wavy are just some of the words that come to mind to describe this project, and don’t just take my word for it either- the two singles off this EP “Counting On You” and “Home” have seen love from BBC Radio‘s Tom Robinson. Femi deserves all of this attention though, as he is getting better with every release and is currently criminally underrated.
New age artist Cheryl B. Engelhardt has released a new album called The Passenger, featuring Grammy-winning musician Lili Haydn of Opium Moon, Dallas String Quartet, and more. Bridging the gap between emotive instrumental composition and ambient instincts, The Passenger is an immersive project that showcases Engelhardt’s wide compositional range and evocative instrumentation.
The Passenger opens with “The Beautiful Bridge”, a layered, expansive ambient song that conjures imagery of nature and calms the mind with its delicate sound. “The Light That’s Left” follows up with celestial instrumentation that inspires imagery of open landscapes with soft ambient synths and evocative neoclassical elements. Album highlight “The Chariot” brings in an epic, expansive soundscape with grand strings that build in layers until the song climaxes, bringing in delicate pianos and harps to underscore the strings. Offerings like “The Angels’ Lullaby” feel pensive and thoughtful, as patient pianos float alongside warm strings. The album closes out on a high note with “The Message” and “The Ambient Love”, two tracks of jaw-dropping beauty centred around silky, immersive orchestration.
The latest from composer Cheryl B. Engelhardt, The Passenger is an evocative, dream-like album that immerses listeners in its delicate beauty.
New York artist ADVICE has shared a new single called “dismyshit”, alongside Kartik. Here, an airy instrumental containing layered, immersive keys, gritty samples, and head-nodding drums creates a textural backdrop for ADVICE’s flexible rhyme patterns. He comes through with engaging lyrics and smooth flows that pay homage to classic NYC hip-hop. A wintery, laid-back offering that feels smoky and nocturnal, “dismyshit” draws the listener in close with its mercurial sound. The latest from ADVICE and Kartik, “dismyshit” marks another solid offering from both artists.
Virginia artist mynameisntjmack has shared a new single called “NEWBRASSKNUCKLES”, produced by gutty. Following up his infectious, cleverly-written release “BUNKER/ PREROLL” with Tommy Richman, this single slows down the pace and brings in an immersive, laid-back sound filled with warmth. “NEWBRASSKNUCKLES” begins with elegant, relaxed keys that drift atop organic-sounding drums, before jmack enters with easygoing, introspective verses. He weaves together observational, sharply-crafted lyrics atop the graceful instrumentation, showcasing his focus as an emcee. The latest from mynameisntjmack, “NEWBRASSKNUCKLES” inspires introspection and reflection atop enticingly warm instrumentation.
Columbus, Ohio’s Copywrite has shared a new album called The High Exhaulted II, the sequel to his seminal debut album, 2002’s The High Exhaulted. With a storied history in underground hip-hop, his latest offering continues his reign as a sharp, deft lyricist and skilled songwriter. Here, the underground veteran weaves electrifying, dynamic verses atop abstract yet infectious production, breathlessly stringing together vivid lines. He also shows versatility here atop a wide range of production from Swab, Stu Bangas, the late great Camu Tao, and more, that draws influence from boom-bap, jazz rap, and hints of trap.
Album opener “Cold Turkey Leftovers” immediately shows that Copy can hang with the best of them in terms of flow and lyricism. He enters ferociously, piecing together descriptive bars at a rapid pace atop heavy, grandiose production. The instrumentation on “Cold Turkey Leftovers” crafts a rich, layered soundscape of powerful keys, crisp percussion and rich bass, and he floats atop it with a commanding yet smooth vocal performance. The smoky, mystical “The Lah” follows next, with Copy shouting out his home state of Ohio before delving into a whirlwind of sharply-crafted verses where he references an encyclopedic breadth of topics. The production here is intriguing and mysterious, with ethereal guitars and energetic keys blending together smoothly, underscored by subtle chimes.
“Spoiler Alert/ Have U Cena?” takes on a different, more electronic-influenced direction with gritty synths and heavy percussion. He begins with a powerful delivery and provides bristling bars aimed at wrestler John Cena, who he accuses of stealing Copy’s lyrics for his music. Over two different beats, he goes at Cena with clever, memorable punchlines and breaks down the entire situation in an engrossing fashion. “Hot Iron” builds an infectious hook with high-pitched vocal samples and playful keys, with snapping, trap-influenced percussion beneath. Here, Copy and fellow Ohio rapper Fulio deliver smooth, engaging verses full of slick lyricism, keeping the listener pressed to the speakers to catch every line.
“White Sean Price” contains elegant samples consisting of expansive vocals, warm guitars, and grooving bass. Beneath, textural drums drop in and underscore his flexible verses, as he attacks the beat with gripping, energetic flows. Cannibal Ox‘s Vordul Mega appears alongside Copy for “Maintain”, and the two underground veterans showcase natural chemistry as they discuss social injustice atop haunting production. The album closes out on a graceful note with “Silence”, produced by Camu Tao. As pensive keys and grimy drums provide a thought-provoking backdrop, he reminisces upon past memories in music and pays homage to those that have passed on. An emotive, powerful closer, “Silence” is a stirring cut that finishes the album on a high note.
The latest from underground mainstay Copywrite, The High Exhaulted II, released on Man Bites Dog Records, finds him delivering meaningful, dextrous verses atop dynamic production. An exciting album that combines a variety of sonic palettes through dark yet graceful production, this project is a gripping listen that provides surprises at every turn. The sequel to his magnetic debut LP The High Exhaulted, this project marks 20 years since that release and finds Copy as sharp as ever.
Brooklyn rapper Bert Knox, Virginia artists KADOLEAF and donnie killjoy and New York producer tookhozy have connected for a new genre-bending single called “GOLIATH”. Here, a hazy, expansive instrumental provides dense layers of sound and sets a solid foundation for the vocalist’s versatile performances. The vocals combine a variety of genres into a refreshing, dynamic blend, drawing influence from R&B, hip-hop, punk, and more. Underscored by rich reversed keys and crisp, snapping percussion, this song is infectious and moody. The latest from Bert Knox, KADOLEAF, tookhozy, and donnie killjoy, “GOLIATH” makes for an immersive, textural listen.
ROUNDHOUSE MUSIC 