Welcome to the very first "Fresh Music Friday". Every Friday, I'll be providing a brief take on some of the newest music released by the best artists, both popular and rising. This week, I'm reviewing new music from A$AP Rocky, CHVRCHES, Jorja Smith and Pusha T.
#1) A$AP Rocky - "Buck Shots", from TESTING:
After a long wait, a plethora of teaser tracks and a very strange livestream, A$AP Rocky's third studio album TESTING is finally here. The album itself is amazingly eclectic; blending a range of new sounds taken from a variety of genres while retaining that unique Harlem confidence present throughout Rocky's work. One song I feel that does this well is the album's seventh song, Buck Shots. Before the beat even drops, the track hits you with a burst of energy, the kind needed after the preceeding sombre song, CALLDROPS. Flacko's smooth flow compliments the beat alongside filters, reverbs and left-to-right pans that fuel this energy even further. The track gets even better when frequent collaborator Playboy Carti exchanges lines and ad-libs with Rocky. All of this happening moments before a slick guest verse from rising rapper Smooky Margielaa rounds off the track. Much like the album it comes from, Buck Shots blends a new sound with that same A$AP Rocky vibe we know and love since his 2011 debut.
#2) CHVRCHES - "Graffiti", from Love Is Dead:
Since their 2013 debut, Scottish trio CHVRCHES have always grounded themselves in the niche genre of synth-pop. Although as the genre itself begins to resurge, there's an opportunity for the band to get mainstream recognition and popularity, subsequently shifting the tone of their newer music more towards pop to do so. In comparison to their earlier work, Love Is Dead embodies that shift in experimenting with tempos, sounds and styles more accessible for mainstream audiences. While this may result in Love Is Dead being a disappointment amongst fans, it's opener Graffiti still packs a punch. While it may not speak for the rest of the album or be on the same level as The Mother We Share, the track possesses that thumping, grandiose epic tone that CHVRCHES is known for. Unfortunately, the lyrics don't hit quite the same spot, feeling tedious with a lot of repetition and less density than their older work. Graffiti, and Love Is Dead as a whole, functions better as an introduction to CHVRCHES for listeners who haven't listened to them as opposed to being the album fans were painstakingly awaiting since it's January announcement.
#3) Jorja Smith - "February 3rd", from Lost & Found:
With features on tracks by Drake, Kendrick Lamar and Khalid alongside her own music - Jorja Smith is 2018's definitive rising star, already showing off her smooth, jazz-injected, R&B sound with her last single Blue Lights. February 3rd, the latest single from her upcoming album Lost & Found, not only continues this style but does it in a way that works for her. Feburary 3rd's instrumental blends a new acoustic atmosphere while incorporating the classically soft R&B keys that have been a staple of the genre since its beginning. Smith's silky voice compliments the corresponding instrumental perfectly, working and matching with her vocals in a way that works for them, giving you the feeling that only she could sing this song. With this track, Smith solidifies what she brings to the R&B genre, finding and filling a gap in the way many great R&B singers before her managed to do, with much success.
#4) Pusha T - "If You Know, You Know", from DAYTONA:
G.O.O.D Fridays have begun. Pusha T's newest album marks the first release in a series of albums fully produced by G.O.O.D music exec, and frequent Push collaborator, Kanye West. Daytona, formerly known as King Push, is an album that's been long awaited for many fans. It's opening track, If You Know, You Know, alone rewards fans for their patience. Push's rhythmic first verse dances around the minimalist Kanye instrumental before it explodes into an epic clash between a guitar riff and voice samples, resulting in the kind of beat fans of 'The Old Kanye' will adore. Kanye's beat is instantly memorable and when combined with Pusha's signature lyricism and flow provides for a perfect match for any G.O.O.D music fan. If this is the kind of album we can expect from Kanye every week, then June is gonna be an incredible month for Yeezy fans.