The first of my anticipated May releases was Kilo Kish’s new EP, Negotiations. The singles were a complete vibe, and I enjoyed the overall style of the visuals—which were this tired office aesthetic. And the rest of the EP lived up to my expectations. It continued with the moody pop and electronic infusion featured on the singles.
Then the second of my most anticipated May releases was Pink Pantheress’ newest release. There are some mixtapes that just feel like albums (like FKA Twigs’ Capri Songs), and that’s pretty much how I view Fancy That. It was a whole lot of fun to engage with. I also wasn’t very familiar with UK Garage before this, but now I want to delve more into that genre.
And finally, there was Lethal. I loved it so much. It was everything I like about Rico Nasty’s past discography but from a slightly different angle. Lethal was a combination of rap and punk rock, and Rico Nasty leans into what she does best here. It just works.
Emotional Oranges is one of the duos I checked out last month, with their album Orenjii. It was solid R&B with influences that called backed to music from the 90s and early 2000s (which is kind of a trend lately)—and if you’ve listened to any of it, some of the songs here might feel familiar (such as That Girl). But, the album had plenty to offer, because its influences weren’t the sum total of what it was. Instead, it used its references effectively, and delivered an album firmly grounded in the group’s style. It was fun.
And last but not least, one of the most unexpected (and surprising) finds from last month was Better Dreaming by Tune-Yards. The duo is new to me, and their new album came up under my recommendations. Some bodies of work are what I would describe as smooth, and Better Dreaming fits that bill perfectly with its indie alternative sound. This was very easy to listen to.
