STACK #202 Aug 2021

MUSIC FEATURE

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B e Right Back is a gift for the moment. The title is a promise to fans of more music ahead. It follows Smith‘s Grammy-nominated, BRIT Award-winning Lost and Found , and serves as a prelude to her upcoming second album, due in 2022. Across this release Smith showcases her unique skill for restrained neo-soul balladry, jazz infused hip hop, emotive dance, R‘n‘B and pop. There‘s also a subtle reggae groove on Bussdown , where Smith is joined by rapper Shaybo. Both artists explore themes of growth, empowerment and the elusive search for true friendship and fulfilment. Opening single Addicted is another especially affecting highlight, a tale of complicated love that soars with Smith‘s vocals and a propulsive drum‘n‘bass rhythm. SimonWinkler JORJA SMITH‘S EP GETS VINYL-EXCLUSIVE COVER ART

Be Right Back by Jorja Smith is out now on CD, with red transparent vinyl and vinyl- exclusive cover art (pictured above) out Aug 27, via Sony.

WELCOME TO CHATEAU CHET

“M usic does something/ Most don‘t know what it does, they just accept it as the sky is blue/ But, for some people, they get a window half open in their souls...” Emotive strings and jaunty drumming underscore opener Oh Me Oh My ‘s spoken-word intro. Then, as soon as Nick Murphy (AKA Chet Faker)

LEON BRIDGES FLIPS THE SCRIPT

Hotel Surrender by Chet Faker is out now via Detail Records/BMG.

C oming Home was his retro-soul break-out which meshed tradition with authentic heart. On Good Thing he dipped his tasselled loafers into 24K Magic pop territory. Now, Gold- Diggers Sound sees Leon Bridges endeavour to bend his steps into a truer R‘n‘B domain, with messages closer to his heart – and by George, he‘s done it. That‘s not a figure of speech: first single Sweeter feat. Terrace Martin (who has produced for Kendrick Lamar) was released as a tribute to the late George Floyd. Its unhurried, gently tickering R‘n‘B beat daubed with bell-like electric piano and breathy sax is not the anomaly on Gold-Diggers Sound – it‘s the golden rule. Bridges has created an album continually textured and tactile, with an in-studio feel to the muted and slightly cracked horns in tracks like Born Again and the mysterious, 40-second-long New Orleans-style lament Gold-Diggers . The man‘s contemplative, sensual vocals commit to laying back on the beat, and harmonies interlace blissfully with deep, lush keys (do not operate heavy machinery while listening to Motorbike or Magnolias ). Though you might hear the poignant yearning of Frank Ocean, the meticulous detail of Steve Lacy, the ethereal sensibilities of Cliff Martinez or the echoes of the soul tradition where Bridges began amongst these tracks, its sophistication isn‘t borrowed from anywhere at all – it‘s utterly Bridges‘ own, and it‘s completely irresistible. ZKR

switches to trademark crooner mode, his syrupy, soulful delivery is both familiar and comforting. After dropping an EP, album and instrumental record (initially released via the Calm meditation app) under his birth name, Murphy revived his Chet Faker project last October with Low : Hotel Surrender ‘s effortlessly cool lead single, which features crisp handclaps and swaggering bass à la Walk On The Wild Side. Murphy‘s second album under this moniker is a self-produced mood enhancer, with dazzling instrumental details bursting from a pulsating undercurrent. Stand-out moments include the jazzy, piano-led Get High (“Just because I cry, it doesn‘t mean I‘m not strong”) and So Long So Lonely , with its subtle sax appeal and sultry, intoxicating harmonies. Murphy‘s vocal melodies are deliciously unpredictable throughout, like a meandering butterfly‘s flight path. “I felt like the world was hurting,” Murphy reveals of his headspace going into the creation of this work, “so I thought, ‘I can do a small something to give people some joy‘.” Welcome to Hotel Surrender . It‘s good vibes only; you‘ll definitely wanna extend your stay. Bryget Chrisfield

Gold- Diggers Sound by Leon Bridges is out Aug 13 via Sony.

12 AUGUST 2021

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