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Seth Narley and Creestal share cinematic, raw EP ‘Prada Cups In The South Of France’

Seth Narley has been steadily building one of the more compelling catalogs coming out of New York’s underground scene. Born in the Bronx, the rapper has spent the last year maintaining an impressive pace, balancing consistency with artistic growth. Releases like Oceans Mondrian and Welcome to the Show showcased his ability to pair vivid writing with focused execution, and his latest collaborative EP with producer CreestalPrada Cups In The South Of France, feels like another confident step forward.

Across four tracks, Narley and Creestal strike a balance between luxury and grit, creating a project that feels equally cinematic and streetwise. Creestal’s production provides a rich backdrop throughout, blending soulful textures, orchestral flourishes, and understated elegance while leaving plenty of room for Narley’s storytelling to take center stage.

The EP opens with “Jordan On The Baseline,” immediately establishing the project’s atmosphere. Creestal’s sweeping instrumental carries a sense of grandeur without losing its edge, while Narley fills the space with sharp observations and imagery-driven lyricism. The result is a track that feels polished but never overly refined, maintaining the raw energy that runs throughout the project.

That momentum continues on “2 Thousand On The Knicks,” where warm guitar melodies and a driving rhythm section create one of the EP’s most memorable soundscapes. Narley sounds particularly comfortable here, delivering verses with the confidence of an artist fully settled into his style. There’s an ease to his performance that makes the song feel effortless without sacrificing precision.

“Unplugged From Marseille” shifts the mood. Creestal leans into a hazier, more relaxed palette, allowing the record to breathe while expanding its emotional range. Narley adapts naturally, weaving together vivid scenes and charismatic bars that make the track feel less like a detour and more like another layer of the project’s identity.

Closing track “Celia Cruz & Gloria Estefan” brings everything together. Soulful production, subtle gospel influences, and a sense of nostalgia give the song a reflective quality, while Narley’s measured delivery ties the EP’s themes together. It serves as a fitting conclusion to a project built on contrasts—luxury and struggle, refinement and rawness, ambition and reflection.

At just four tracks, Prada Cups In The South Of France doesn’t overstay its welcome. Instead, it leaves a lasting impression through strong chemistry between artist and producer, thoughtful songwriting, and a clear creative vision. For Seth Narley, it’s another reminder that consistency doesn’t have to come at the expense of quality. If anything, this latest release suggests he’s only getting sharper with each project.

Listen to Prada Cups In The South Of France here now:

Listen on more platforms HERE.

Connect with Seth Narley: Spotify | Instagram | Twitter

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Review: Sugar Bomb brings the funk on ‘Sweet + Explosive’

For Asheville, North Carolina jazz trio Sugar Bomb, 2025 has been a coming out party of sorts.

In May, the trio released their debut EP Sweet, a four track effort centered around spaced out melodies and slow-burning grooves. In September, they released a companion EP EXPLOSIVE, a funkier, more upbeat effort than its predecessor.

Now, the trio — made up of bassist Eli Kahn, drummer Joe Enright and keyboardist Jacob Bruner — has re-released both EP’s as one project, Sweet + Explosive, a debut album that pairs the somber, lyrical lead writing of the first EP with the head-knocking, improvisational focus of the second.

The intro track, “Rubber,” kicks off with some breathy legato synth chords and steady brushstrokes from Enright. It’s a gentle, eery start to the record, easing the listener in with a pleasant kiss on the eardrums. Let us not forget Kahn’s contributions, whose grumbling, pulsating bass lines lay down the perfect backdrop that ties it all together.

The slow cooking feel continues on the second track, “IDK,” which has a guest feature from saxophonist Dylan Hannan, whose earthy, moaning saxophone lines float perfectly over the relaxed instrumental grooves laid down by the trio.

The next two cuts bring more of the same. “Kerosene,” despite its title, is a moody, mid-paced number driven by Bruner’s dreary synths, while “Lullaby” closes out the first half of the project with some more spacey keyboard work and some rhythmic percussion lines from Enright.

The vibe of the project completely changes in its second half. Track five, “Frenzy,” abandons the slow-paced, melodic focus from the first half, pushing the tempo with its driving, off-beat drum patterns and pressing lead melodies that eventually cascade into utter chaos near the end of the song.

The next two tracks, “Issa Vibe” and “Eli Special” are both funky dance numbers, erected upon nifty staccato bass work and some heavily technical improvisational chops from Bruner.

The project closes with “Dance Tune,” which is perhaps the biggest ear worm on the entire record. Alternating between a moody, stripped back melodic riff and a fast-paced dance riff, the trio slowly builds momentum in the song’s closing moments before a satisfying release of tension that closes out the record.

While Sweet + Explosive is essentially a tale of two halves —one half moody, the other half funky — what brings this project together so nicely are the catchy melodies, airy soundscapes and demonstrably high level of musicianship from everyone involved.

Photo credit: Camilla Calnan

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Blog Roundhouse Features

The immersive sonic world of Noah Genesis’ ‘another hornet didn’t make it to spring’

Noah Genesis has shared a new album, another hornet didn’t make it to spring. Genesis is a 20-year-old producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist originally from Seattle, now based in Los Angeles. His music- entirely self-produced- fuses alternative pop, indie rock, and hip-hop into raw, experimental soundscapes. His new album, another hornet didn’t make it to spring, is a showcase of his diverse, emotive style, drawing from alternative pop, indie rock, hip-hop while maintaining deeply personal themes and an abstract approach. It’s the type of record that draws you in further and further across its run-time, immersing you in its introspective atmosphere and raw feel, as Genesis paints a vibrant picture of his inner world across 11 songs.

another hornet didn’t make it to spring is an album that cannot be boxed in to one genre or style. While it maintains a cohesive sound throughout, it pushes the boundaries through a blend of everything from alternative pop to hip-hop. From the indie and folk flourishes of opener “parasite”, with its expansive guitar riffs and bittersweet vocals- to the rich, energetic “northside story”’s hip-hop tones- another hornet didn’t make it to spring is a record that has something for everyone. Elements of folktronica and minimalism appear on tracks like “stinger”, while closer “nicolas sheff” is a hauntingly beautiful ballad.

The album presents a lived-in kind of intimacy for the listener, as many of its songs feels like a special nostalgic item one has re-discovered again after many years, of the kind they believe they might never find again. It’s a heartfelt, powerful record that brings you both potent points of sweeping instrumentation and vocals, as well as quiet, hidden moments that reveal themselves over time. Listen to Noah Genesis’ new album another hornet didn’t make it to spring here now.

Listen on all platforms HERE.

Watch Noah Genesis’ short film ‘where will i land?’ here:

Connect with Noah Genesis: Spotify | Instagram | YouTube