Tame Impala
Disciples
We still haven't been given a release date for Tame Impala's fothcoming third record Currents but we do have yet another new song from the record Disciples. The song dropped during a Reddit AMA that frontman Kevin Parker undertook yesterday, proving that he's a smart man but an extremely slow typer. It's only just under two minutes long so there's every chance it could just be a clip but it's a cracker nonetheless. It's probably the most reverb-soaked song we've heard from the record so far but those pop melodies creep through, led by Parker's unbreakable falsetto.
Oisima
Take Your Time
Australian producer Oisima has been kicking around for a while now but he's only just getting set to release his debut album Nicaragua Nights on 15 May. Take Your Time is taken from that record and it's a haunting banger that heavily samples Rihanna's Russian Roulette. He deprives us of the chorus of that song instead using the bridge to create an anxious climate that climaxes into a flurry of percussion. It's an impressive cut that has us aching to hear the LP.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/oisima/take-your-time-1[/soundcloud]
LANY
Someone Else
Nothing grabs us immediately more than a crisply-produced pop song and that's exactly what LANY have been churning out for almost a year. Their latest track Someone Else is a floaty, electronic-ballad complete with airy vocals and crystallised synths. It's the slowest thing they've done yet but it's no less likeable. An album sometime this year would be just wonderful.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/thisislany/someone-else[/soundcloud]
Ciara
Dance Like We're Making Love
Six albums in and Ciara is still the underground queen of RnB. First single from the new album I Bet was your textbook break-up track but on Dance Like We're Making Love it sounds like she's back on the horse. It's a sleek track that oscillates between pop and RnB, glued together by CiCi's honey-soaked tones. Nobody makes tracks destined for the bedroom better than Ciara and is just another example of that. Her record Jackie is out next week and we'd suggest that it's well worth a listen.
Kehlani
The Way (Feat. Chance The Rapper)
US singer Kehlani is part of a new-frontier of female singers who are giving the boys a run for their money in the field of attitude-filled, sensual RnB. This week she dropped her debut album You Should Be Here and it featured this Chance The Rapper-featuring track The Way. Kehlani's husky-vocals are the perfect match for the stealthy beat that runs underneath. In fact she pretty much runs the show purely with her effortless flow until Chance comes in with his typical charismatic, high verse that explores the oddest nooks and crannies of each beat. Kehlani holds her own easily alongside Chance further proving that she's one to keep a close eye on this year.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/kehlanimusic/kehlani-the-way-feat-chance-the-rapper?in=kehlanimusic/sets/you-should-be-here[/soundcloud]
Elijah Blake
I Just Wanna (Feat. Dej Loaf)
We came for Dej Loaf but we stayed for Elijah Blake. We've been tracking Dej Loaf for nearly a year now and her cross-over into mainstream superstar seems to be going swimmingly. Another new name (who's not so new, he's written for Rihanna!) who is looking for that song to mark his arrival on the scene is Elijah Blake who's gearing up to release his debut album Shadows & Diamonds in June. Loaf and Blake meld together perfectly on this slinky track with the pair intermingling perfectly over the line "I just wanna get fucked up." This laid-back, almost nonchalant style of RnB is being eaten up on urban radio in the US right now so we have no doubt that this will be a sleeper hit this year.
Okay Kaya
Clenched Teeth
Songstress Okay Kaya is XL Records' latest signing and she made a splash on the internet last month with her grogeous track Damn, Gravity. Now she's back with the follow-up Clenched Teeth which is just as raw and haunting. The gentle guitar strums create this cold, isolated atmosphere which she fills with warmth through her elongated vocal. It's fragile but there's a certain wiseness to her voice which is the mark of a confident songwriter. It's going to be exciting to see this one's progression throughout the year.
Mariah Carey
Infinity
A decade after the release of Mariah Carey's 'comeback' album The Emancipation Of Mimi, Mariah Carey is still a thing, believe it or not. Her last record Me. I Am Mariah was actually a very solid LP but she's going back to her roots on her most recent single Infinity, bringing the '90s vibes on strong. There's a tacky-as-hell lyric-video to go along with it that, depending on your taste for irony, is either brilliant or awful. It's clear Carey's voice ain't as good as it used to be but this is a TUNE. This isn't going to top the charts but it's a good song to add to the collection nonetheless. And she does her typical ear-piercing at the end so there's reason to stick around. Oh, and she also giggles.
Nosaj Thing
Let You
If you're not waiting with baited breath for Nosaj Thing's third album Fated then you need to check your priorities. Let You is the LA producer's third track to be taken from the album and the first without a feature. Incidentally it's also the best track so far. It's weighed down by a soulful, chopped-up sample which sits atop frantic beats. It's a track meant for after-dark. One that would be criminal to judge anytime before 3am. As I write, it's only the afternoon so I apologise for breaking my own rule.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/nosajthing/let-you[/soundcloud]
SLO
Nothing Hurts Like This
If you haven't heard of SLO yet, you're about to hear a lot about her this year. The British songstress who was previously known as Jess Mills has returned under a new moniker and with a slew of brilliant tunes which have plenty of industry and media alike stroking their chins. Nothing Hurts Like This is a gentle, ethereal tune that won't hit you immediately but it will eventually. There are subtle harmonies, unobtrusive guitar work and a voice that sounds like it was born on an angels wing all working together to make a track that will lull you into a white-haze. Lovely.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/i-d-online-1/premiere-slo-nothing-hurts-like-this[/soundcloud]
