#alt rnb
I absolutely adore Låpsleyand the English musician’s soulful brand of alt R&B and electronic art pop. Her debut full length Long Way Home dropped in 2016; we haven’t heard much from her since. I’ve oft wondered whether she was working on new material, and tried to keep a lookout for any news from her, yet somehow I managed to miss out on her glorious return until just a few days ago despite My Love Was Like The Rain arriving a couple weeks ago. Without further ado, let’s take in the magnificent beauty of the shadowy, graceful reflection that is her long awaited new single. There’s no mistaking this song for anything but Låpsley, from her rich sonorous voice to the song’s fluid, spacious electronic production. The music video for My Love Was Like The Rain also entrances with its nod to old school rave aesthetics, as well as road scenes that remind me of Radiohead’s Karma Police and underwater pool shots that remind me of Nirvana’s renowned Nevermind cover art. My Love Was Like The Rain is a glimmering light in the dark, a shadowplay of a delicately entrancing song. And it’s a superb return from an artist we’ve been missing dearly. It’s taken from a forthcoming EP entitled These Elements, out November 22nd. Pre-save/pre-order, here.
One of the bands I was most excited to catch at various friends’ showcases at SXSW earlier this year was Easy Life, a genre-defying collective from the UK who had already drummed up a ton of buzz back at home before their Austin debut. Whenever I catch buzzworthy acts at SXSW I’m always extra excited to see them here at home in San Francisco. I can’t help but relish in the chance to see them on familiar ground, where I can observe local reaction, and I can’t help but sound the horn to try and get my friends out to the show. So, I was overjoyed when I saw that Easy Life had announced a US tour and they’d be performing at Popscene at the Rickshaw Stop in San Francisco on March 13th. I also wondered if this meant that there was new music on the horizon. Sure enough, fast forward to this morning, and guess what was sitting in my inbox? Thiis fine new single, Nice Guys, a wry, playful anthem for the outsider from the young Leicester five-piece. They summon the laidback groove of Kaytranada and the jazz-infused funk of Anderson .Paak on one of their grooviest swooners, all permeated with their trademark bounty of soulful crooning, brassy flourishes, and silky warmth. Easy Life, who’s now signed to Interscope, will kick off their 2020 North American ‘Junk Food’ tour on February 27th in Toronto and close it out at their Popscene show in San Francisco. Tickets go on sale this Friday. For more details, visit their website, here. Stream/download Nice Guys, here.
