New Singles Update
Dutch singer, songwriter, and producer Benny Sings is back with a new single called “Rolled Up”. He wrote the song together with Mac DeMarco: “The song is about being in the dumps without a particular reason. Things can be pretty good, but still you feel like shit. Sometimes leaving it all can be a cure.” It’s another one of those typical, always a bit melancholic type of songs which we have come to appreciate over the years. Hard to believe that his Sonar Kollektiv album “I Love You”, which features the still amazing “Make A Rainbow”, is already 16 years old. Very recommended and a nice reminder of “City Pop“, one of the best pop albums of 2019.
On a more soulful tip, legendary songstress Melba Moore has come up with an uplifting, rousing “Just Doing Me”. The soulful house groove, produced by Mirror Ball Recordings boss Terry Hunter and George Pettus, Jr., smoothly glides along for about seven minutes and suits Frau Moore extremely well. It also features Chantay Savage on backing vocals who has her own single out on this newly created label. It’s a pretty club-friendly, irresistible jam.
Anthropoda consists of founder Greg Spero (piano, keys), MonoNeon (bass), Ruslan Sirota (keys), and Robert “Sput” Searight (drums). With “October Life”, they have come up with a subtle, downtempo groover with Greg’s piano fronting this pretty warming and soothing cut which still has enough power to keep you from drifting away. It is another entry to Greg’s Tiny Room Studio sessions which has come up with great pieces from Terreon Gully and Kris Myers recently.
Back to some more house with UK Dj and producer Andrew Macari. His new EP, the three-track “Hidden Textures” on Viva Recordings out of Seattle, opens with the hypnotic, 7-minute “Some Like Change” which boasts with lots of percussive pads and snares and could go on forever. The rare vocal snippets only add to the excitement here. On “U Want Deep”, he starts out pretty repetitive, with keyboard stabs and synth layers making this a rather dark sounding entry, perfect for an early morning club mood which we can’t really appreciate during these strange times. Final cut “My Soul Brothers” is even more determined, with a lot of gut and gravy and a staggering bass line.
And finally, Stevie Wonder is back with two new songs after what seemed to be a lifetime. “Where Is Our Love Song” is one of those typical Stevie midtempo ballads, almost too nice, but full of his still very strong, inimitable vocals and as always, a true and deep message. It features Gary Clark, Jr. The other new cut, “Can’t Put It In The Hands Of Fate”, even though with more socially conscious lyrics with a powerful message, fails to ignite due to the uneven features of Busta Rhymes, Cordae, CHIKA, and Rapsody
