Tag: singer/songwriter \

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Zacchae’us Paul Returns with Swaggering “TEN outta Ten”

Atlanta-born and based producer, singe/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Zacchae’us Paul released his highly-anticipated sophomore album JAZZ MONEY VOL. 2: SWINGIN’ R&B this past Friday. Sonically, the album sees the rising Atlanta-based artist effortlessly crafting a seamless blend of jazz, R&B, neo-soul and hip-hop that features razor sharp beats complementing nimble, acoustic jazz drumming, emcees effortlessly spitting bars alternating with jazz solos.There’s R&B-styled crooning and sangin.’ There are producer tags, interludes and spoken word sections. And it’s all anchored in jazz improvisation and cinematic storytelling influenced by hip-hop’s golden age.

JAZZ MONEY VOL. 2: SWINGIN’ R&B includes the previously released “LOOK TO THE SKY” “SHE F*CK WITH THE RACKS,” the Zacchae’us Paul and DJ OOOCHILD co-produced “BETTER MUST COME” feat. happy qavah, donSMITH, Keenyn Omari and Derzon Douglas, the Down To Mars-produced “STAY” feat. donSMITH and the album’s release day single “TEN outta TEN.” “TEN outta TEN” is a sleek and effortless blend of trap, R&B and jazz that pairs thumping, eardrum shattering low end and trap beats with soulful crooning, thoughtful lyricism, hip-hop swagger and lounge-ready sophistication.

As a Georgia native, Paul created the song to pay tribute to legendary local hip-hop producer Zaytoven. “I’ve always felt a connection to Zaytoven,” Paul explains. “We’re both preacher’s kids and organists whose musical foundation was built in the church. Even after all of his success, he still plays in church today. That has always inspired me because it reminds me that your gift belongs to God before it belongs to the industry.”

He continues, “Ironically, trap was the first style of music I ever learned to produce. I started making beats in middle school before I ever considered myself a jazz musician. From there, I became obsessed with exploring every branch of Black American music—jazz, gospel, blues, R&B, soul, funk, hip-hop, and beyond. To me, they’re all connected. This record is where those worlds meet: a tribute to one of Atlanta’s greatest producers through my own musical language.”  

Video by William Ruben Helms

Live Footage: JOVM Mainstays Gotts Street Park and Olive Jones Perform “Wake Me Up” at ATA Studios

Leeds-based trio and JOVM mainstays Gotts Street Park— Josh Crocker (bass, production), Tom Henry (keys) and Joe Harris (guitar) —released their full-length debut 2023’s On The Inside, which included “Got To Be Good” feat. Pip Millettt, “Fuego,” “Mountains” feat. ENNY and “Tell Me Why” feat. Olive Jones to international acclaim. And in the subsequent years since its release, the album has amassed over 300 million streams across all DPS with “Got To Be Good” landing in Season Three of BBC’s hit series Boarders and this year’s Finding Emily starring Spike Fearn and Minnie Driver. 

The acclaimed British trio’s recently released sophomore album Somewhere Between is a natural progression from the soulful-groove led sound that has defined their previously with the material drawing from Bill Orcutt, Dylan Day, Dick Gaughan, Jessica Pratt, Big Thief and Blaze Foley, as well as the working methods of the house bands at Stax Records and Sun Records. The result is an album that combines the collective’s signature production prowess with an even greater warmth than before, as they also draw on the spirit of the 1970s troubadour singer/songwriter movement with a cast of long-time collaborators that include Celeste, Olive Jones, Pip Millett, Matt Maltese, Sofia and The Antoinettes, anaiis and Rosie Lowe. While the album finds the band exploring new textures, arrangements and approaches to songwriting that helps to create space for a wider cast of collaborators, the material stays rooted to the understand, live-take-in-the-studio feel that has become synonymous with the band.

Speaking on the evolution of their sound, the band said: “New influences have definitely found their way into this record, but it’s still grounded in our love of soul and jazz. The sounds originally introduced to us through all of us growing up on hip-hop. It’s about new strands weaving through what we already do”.  

“The title only arrived once the album was finished, and it means something slightly different to each of us,” the band continues. ““For me, it reflects the space that collaboration creates, a place where our individual lives, moods and experiences overlap for a while to make something together. We’re all arriving from different places, but in the studio those separate worlds meet. There’s something about making music that feels like stepping into a space between the tangible and the intangible, where ideas seem to come from somewhere beyond ourselves. In many ways, that’s what this album represents: meeting somewhere between who we are individually and what we can create together.”

The album includes the previously released “Some Birds Don’t Fly” feat Matt Maltese, “Easy” feat. Celeste, and the album’s latest single “Wake Me Up” feat. Olive Jones. Featuring a sultry, old-school soul-meets-Soulquarians-like groove with dusty breakbeats, a strutting guitar lick and bursts of bubbling synths beneath Olive Jones‘ breezily soulful yet yearning delivery, “Wake Up” explores the blurred lines between true love and infatuation, capturing the messy uncertainty of someone trying to decipher whether the rush — and hope — of a new romance can develop into something deeper.

“It’s about coming out of the whirlwind stage of early romance and trying to find a steadier, more enduring form of love,” Olive Jones explains. “It’s a phase of confusion and questioning: ‘Am I making the right decision? Is this the right person for me?’ It’s about not wanting to let the fun of the whirlwind go but knowing it can’t last forever.”  

The live footage of Jones and the band was shot by Andy Berriman in Leeds-based ATA Studios.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Odette Shares Broodingly Cinematic “Don’t”

Sydney-based singer/songwriter Odette has quickly established a reputation for writing songs that feel like whispered, close-quarters confessions: soulful, sharp and unafraid of honest reflection.

Her third album, the Kiah Gossner-produced Blink is slated for a November 6, 2026 release through Beloved Records. And throughout the album’s runtime, the rising Aussie artist sings candidly about the human experience and what it means to become aware of the world around you. Album sessions began back in 2022, which was the start of the Aussie artist’s recovery from a particularly volatile period of her life — and served as a way to turn a difficult and overwhelming period into something beautiful and healing.

Blink will include the previously released tracks “AAAH!” and “Watch Me Go,” and the album’s latest single “Don’t.” Shifting crescendoing strings, percussive and melodic keys create a broodingly cinematic bed for Odette’s haunting delivery and confessional, lived-in lyricism. “Don’t” comes from a place of shame and hurt; not from the hurt someone did to you, but from the recognition that you’ve hurt someone you care about.

“Don’t’ is for someone who used to be very close to my heart. I’ve been hesitant to write a song for them because I still feel very ashamed about that time in my life,” Odette says. “I was a very volatile, scared and controlling person for many years in this friendship. I didn’t want anyone to leave me alone with how I was feeling, and I was also experiencing intermittent psychosis and delusions, and because of that, I became someone who caused a lot of harm to people I deeply love and care about.”

Directed by Meg Siejka, the accompanying video for “Don’t” is shot in black and white full of dreamily cinematic visuals. including the artist singing and accompanying herself on piano in what appears to be a dance studio.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Rose Gray Shares Anthemic “Blink Twice”

Rising Walthamstow, UK-born dance pop artist Rose Gray has lived her life through club music — from cloakroom shifts to dance floor epiphanies. And that spirit infuses her work with hedonism, honesty and a lot of heart.

Her long-awaited full-length debut, last year’s Louder, Please, which featured “Party People,” “Free,” “Angel of Satisfaction,” “Switch” and “Wet and Wild” was released through Play It Again Sam. Praised for its breadth of collaborators, including Justin Tranter, Zhone, Sega Bodega, Ulfie and Alex Metric, Louder, Please saw the British artist channeling the chaos, catharsis and clarity of the dance floor into a kaleidoscopic vision that meshes classic pop with rave while quickly establishing her as one of the UK’s most exciting new dance artists. Along with the album, the rising British artist collaborated with Ben Hemsley on “Tidal,” Megra on “Elixir” and TSHA on “Girls.“

Adding to a breakthrough 2025, Gray opened for Charli xcx at London’s LIDO Festival. She played Glastonbury with Shygirl. She recorded a BBC Maida Vale live session. She also played her first ever UK headlining tour. She launched her own club night, Gray Selects. And she won a MTV Push Artist of 2025 Award. That summer, she played US dates with Kesha and Scissor Sisters. And she closed out the year with last October’s A Little Louder, Please, the deluxe edition of Louder, Please, which featured two previously unreleased tracks, “April” and “Lotus” and an additional disc of remixes with features from JADE, Melanie C, Shygirl and Casey MQ, as well as string versions of and club edits from Logic1000, Peach, Clementaum and Alex Chapman.

This year has seen the rising British artist build upon that momentum: Earlier this year, she played her second, sold-out North American tour, which included dates opening for Kesha and Scissor Sisters.. She recently made a run of the European festival circuit, playing sets at Primavera Sound, Boomtown and Leeds, which also included an opening slot for Lorde at All Points East. And she collaborated with Demi Lovato on “Joshua Tree.”

This past July, she released the two-track EP “Club To Your Arms“/”Just Be Bodies,” which offers a taste of what’s to come for the rising artist. And during all of this, she signed to Polydor Records.

Gray’s latest single “Blink Twice” is a rousingly anthemic, euphoric banger that’s a seamless blend of 80s and 90s dance pop, 90s Big Beat, house music and hyper pop that showcases the rising artist’s unerring knack for incredibly catchy hooks paired with earnest, lived-in lyrics, informed and influenced by her own experiences. And as a result, the song expresses a mix of awe, wonder, gratitude and luck that comes about from a whirlwind period in which hard work, dedication and moxie have finally seemed to pay off. But there’s also an awareness that even whirlwind, massive success can be fleeting.

“God, I love this song. It’s all chaos, love and emotion. I’ve been feeling so alive lately, more than ever,” Gray says. “This last year has moved so fast, and I’ve met so many incredible people along the way. Sometimes it hits me that I’m actually doing everything I ever dreamed of..touring the world, making music, playing the clubs I used to wait in line for. With all of that comes a little bit of fear too. I want it so bad, and I also don’t wanna lose it. Blink… and you might just miss it. I wanted to write a song about it.”

Paying homage to some of the classics of Gray’s upbringing, the track is also a full circle moment as it appears on the soundtrack for EA Sports 26/27. “This song reminds me of some of my favourite music I grew up on,” Gray adds. “Primal Scream, Basement Jaxx, maybe even a little bit of Britpop in its energy. I don’t really know what exact genre it is; it kinda bends between a few.”

The accompanying, stylishly shot visual for “Blink Twice” features the rising British artist in a suburban home vamping and dancing like a pop star before moving out — presumably for good.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Julia Jacklin Shares Introspective “If I Had The Hand of God”

Acclaimed Melbourne-based singer/songwriter and musician Julia Jacklin will be releasing her highly-anticipated fourth album, the Robert Muiños and Jacklin co-produced, 10-song album  The Gem through 4AD Records digitally and on CD, cassette and vinyl on September 25, 2026. Exclusive color vinyl editions with retailers will include turquoise, green opal, ruby and rose quartz. Pre-order information can be found here.

The album will include the previously released “Get Away From Me (I Think I’ll Love You),” the album’s closing track ” “I Wish” feat, Aussie folk sibling duo The Maes, “The Hardest Thing,” and the album’s latest single “If I Had The Hand of God,” a jangling that’s one-part song-as-story bit of country and one-part indie rock anthem. Written about a surreal trip to Nashville, “If I Had The Hand of God” is a lived-in, introspective meditation on the life of a touring musician and the importance — or unimportance — of legacy that’s both earnest and drenched in a bit of irony.

Directed by Nick Mcck, the accompanying video for “If I Had The Hand of God” begins with Jacklin making a call in a hotel room, before allowing the acclaimed Aussie wandering around Las Vegas with equal parts awe, exhaustion, bemusement and confusion. Oh and there’s a feathered showgirl hat at some point that looks incredibly heavy.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Zachhae’us Paul Teams Up with donSMITH, Safa and Milena Casado on Down To Mars-Produced, Quiet Storm-like “STAY”

Atlanta-born and based producer, singe/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Zacchae’us Paul will be releasing his highly-anticipated sophomore album JAZZ MONEY VOL. 2: SWINGIN’ R&B on October 16, 2026 through Candid Records. Sonically, the album sees the rising […]

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Leon Bridges Returns with Sultry and Soulful “Watch You Dance”

Atlanta-born, Fort Worth, TX-raised singer/songwriter and musician Leon Bridges quickly established himself as one of America’s most exciting new artists with 2015’s platinum-certified, Grammy Award-nominated debut Coming Home, which featured breakout singles “Coming Home” and “River.” Bridges followed up with 2018’s critically applauded Good Thing, which saw him expanding upon his sonic panic while earning a Grammy Award-nomination for Best R&B Album and a Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance for “Bet Ain’t Worth the Hand.”

2021’s Gold-Diggers Sound was the acclaimed Atlanta-born, Fort Worth-based artist’s most adventurous album to date, and the album received critical applause while earning another Grammy Award-nomination for Best R&B Album. His most recent album, 2024’s Lean is an introspective effort inspired by his Texan roots and his artistic evolution.

Along with his solo work, Bridges has collaborated with the equally acclaimed act Khraungbin on two albums — 2020’s Texas Sun and 2022’s Texas Moon. In a relatively short time he has earned six Grammy Award-nomiations — three for Best R&B Album — and a Grammy Award-win, has also collaborated with an eclectic array of artists, including John Mayer, Kacey Musgraves, Robert Glasper, Terrace Martin, Gunna, The Avanlanches, Gary Clark, Jr. and Shaboozey, all of which showcase a remarkably versatile artist.

Adding to a rapidly growing profile, Bridges has a long-held reputation as a captivating live performer, who has made a run of the global concert and festival circuit, playing an increasing number of the world’s major festivals while making appearances on Saturday Night Live, NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert and Austin City Limits.

Bridges’ fourth album, the J Lloyd-Watson and Lydia Kitto-produced fifth album, Happiness Anytime is slated for a Friday release through Columbia Records. Happiness Anytime reportedly sees the acclaimed Atlanta-born, Fort Worth-based artist returning to the warmth of his 2015 debut but while seeing the members of Jungle and Bridges’ signature sensibilities blending to create something entirely new — an expansive, borderless sound and approach that pushes the Grammy Award-winning artist into brand new territory. The material reportedly echoes Fela Kuti, Paul Simon’s 1990 effort The Rhythm of The Saints and Jorge Ben without feeling overly referential. At its core, the album is reportedly boundary pushing while remaining unmistakably Leon Bridges, rooted in his imitable vocal, effortless charisma and melodic sensibilities.

The album was written and recorded across three fast and furious sessions with Lloyd-Watson and Kitto, a collaboration that can trace its origins to the trio repeatedly crossing paths across the global festival circuit. The trio decided to attempt a low-pressure writing session at Los Angeles-based Chaplin Recording Studios. Four days later, they had come up with six songs — half of the completed album. Pino Palladino contributed bass during the sessions. The overall end result is a timeless body of work that feels unfussy and breezy — that they all hope will make the listener feel happiness anytime they play it.

“For me, happiness is not a feeling that you chase,” Bridges says,“I want this album to be something that lingers with people and lingers in people’s bones. There’s this feeling that we have to fix the problems of the world; you feel inadequate or it can be debilitating. My role is to be light. I hope that comes across with this album.” With Happiness Anytime, Bridges actively sets out with a desire to not only find joy but to find movement again.

Early in his career, Bridges was out in front dancing — and that was something that has wanted recently. He wanted to get back to making music to dance to, music to excise the stresses and frustrations of modern life, and to feel grounded in the rhythms of the present. Interestingly, over the summer, he has been introducing audiences to the new album with sets in Paris, Cannes, Los Angeles, Montreux Jazz Festival, London, Chicago and Outside Lands. And as he has being playing the new material live, he has unveiled “Leon Bridges Presents Happiness Anytime,” a reimagined stage production featuring a vinyl DJ, a horn section, three backing vocalists and Bridges out in front dancing and singing. Partly inspired by the communal spirt of Jamaican dancehall culture, the live set mirrors the album’s emphasis on movement — and on dancing your stresses and frustrations away for a bit. You can see what the live show will look like during his most recent appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where he performed medley of tunes from the soon-to-be-released album — the strutting Afrobeat-meets-1970s Motown soul-like “Light The Way” and “Illusion” and jubilant, joyous ode to working things out “Talk It Over.”

“Watch You Dance,” Happiness Anytime‘s latest single is a strutting and sultry bit of neo-soul meets classic soul that feels like a funky, dance floor friendly synthesis of Black Pumas, Cody Chesnutt, Daptone Records and Marvin Gaye‘s “Got To Give It Up” but anchored in old-school craft, earnest, seemingly lived-in lyricism and a grown ass folks sensuality. The song’s narrator knows that seduction is a game that you have to play — and he knows how to play it well.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: James Tonic Returns with Dreamy “Wherever You Are”

James Tonic is a Montréal-born, New York-based dream pop artist, who over the course of seven albums firmly established a sound built on analog synths, live drums and unflinching lyrics. 2024’s Stuck in LA, an album inspired by the West Coast wound up being a breakthrough album for the Canadian-born artist: the album helped hi establish a fanbase, the old-fashioned way while selling out during the tour. 

Last year’s Safety, the first part of a planned dream pop trilogy was a nine-song effort that thematically touched on emotional survival. The second part of the trilogy, Safety II was released earlier this year, and featured a darker, more cinematic take on dream pop paired with sharper, edgier lyricism. Thematically, Safety II covers being wide open, fighting back quietly and spotting clear bits when everything seems hopelessly jumbled. Safety II includes “At The Time In New York,” and “Who’s Going Down.”

His latest single “Wherever You Are” is the first of four singles planed to be released weekly through October 1, 2026. Featuring atmospheric and twinkling synths, a supple R&B-styled bass line and driving rhythm beneath the Montréal-born, New York-based artist’s yearning falsetto, “Wherever You Are” is a seamless blend of Quiet Storm, alt pop and synth pop that showcases Tonic’s ability to pair catchy hooks with earnest lyricism. Tonic explains that the song is about the version of a relationship that never happened — and one level it’s one-part delusional and desperate hope, one-part wistful thinking, and one-part revisionist history. I

The Montréal-born, New York-based artist will be supporting both Safety and Safety II with a winter North American tour that will include a December 10, 2026 NYC show at the Sheen Center/Loreto Theater. For the rest of the tour dates, tickets and more, check out the following link: https://drummer.com/safety-tour

Video by William Ruben Helms

Live Footage: Leon Bridges Performs “Happiness Anytime” Medley on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”

Leon Bridges performs “Happiness Anytime” medley on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Zacchae’us Paul Teams Up with DJ OOOCHILD, happy qavah, donSMITH, Keenyn Omari and Derzon Douglas on a Bold, Swaggering Rendition of a Gospel Tune

Atlanta-born and based producer, singe/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Zacchae’us Paul will be releasing his highly-anticipated sophomore album JAZZ MONEY VOL. 2: SWINGIN’ R&B on October 16, 2026 through Candid Records. Sonically, the album sees the rising Atlanta-based artist crating an effortless blend of jazz, R&B, neo-soul and hip-hop that features razor sharp beats complementing nimble, acoustic jazz drumming, emcees effortlessly spitting bars alternating with jazz solos.There’s R&B-styled crooning and sangin.’ There are producer tags, interludes and spoken word sections. And it’s all anchored in jazz improvisation and cinematic storytelling influenced by hip-hop’s golden age.

JAZZ MONEY VOL. 2: SWINGIN’ R&B will include the previously released “LOOK TO THE SKY” and “SHE F*CK WITH THE RACKS,” as well as its third and latest single, the Zacchae’us Paul and DJ OOOCHILD co-produced “BETTER MUST COME” feat. happy qavah, donSMITH, Keenyn Omari and Derzon Douglas. “BETTER MUST COME” is a bold, swaggering and decidedly contemporary reinterpretation of a gospel tune that retains the uplift and positivity of the original while pushing a familiar song forward into a completely new, radio and lounge friendly territory.

“I knew I wanted a song on this album that centered on God’s love, and I wanted to reinterpret a hymn in a way that felt authentic to my musical language,” Zacchae’us Paul says. “Rather than simply covering the hymn, I wanted to reimagine it through the lens of Swingin’ R&B. I’m especially proud of how this track came together. It captures exactly what I hoped this album would represent: honoring tradition while pushing it forward in my own voice.”

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Skinshape Returns with Summery “Take It As It Is”

Will Dorey is a London-based producer, singer/songwriter, producer and creative mastermind behind the solo recording project, Skinshape. And with Skinshape, the London-based artist has established himself as a master of understated soundscapes, blending rich textures with an array of eclectic influences from around the world. Dorey’s work is known for being imbued with warmth, depth and a timeless character.

Every Skinshape effort reflects the London-based artist’s meticulous approach to composition and production, rooted in the distinct sonic identity made possible by the vintage analog recording equipment he uses. 

The London-based artist’s 11th Skinshape album, Chapman’s Pool is slated for an October 30, 2026 release through Lewis Recordings. Deriving its title from a secluded bay on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast, near Dorey’s childhood home, the album draws from the landscapes that have remained a constant source of inspiration throughout his career.

Written, self-produced and self-recorded at Dorey’s Finsubry Park-based studio with minimal Chapman’s Pool covers a variety of styles and sounds and sees Dorey revisiting his first two Skinshape albums to some degree while featuring more Mellotron and glockenspiel. Most of the album’s instrumentation — guitar, bass, piano, keys, synths, drum machines and the like — was played by Dorey, with the exception of drums, which were played by Tom Blind and Dan Hale. Various field recordings were captured outside the studio. including the sound of waves lapping the shore close to Chapman’s Pool and a car driving past.

Chapman’s Pool will include the previously released “The Blade of a Knife” and its latest single, “Take It As It Is.” Built around a swaggering and strutting groove that seemingly channels Bobby Oroza, the Daptone Records crew and Moscow‘s The Diasonics, “Take It As It Is” is a summery and escapist tune rooted in a blend of old-fashioned British stoicism and Zen calm that feels — well, remarkably necessary as our world burn down and descends into chaos. The song’s narrator implores the listener to do as the old British saying “keep calm and carry on.” “It’s about how we should accept life as it is, with its ups and downs,” Dorey explains. “It focuses on the mental troubles we all face and some reflections on how we may deal with this.”

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Leon Bridges Shares Strutting and Buoyant “Talk It Over”

Atlanta-born, Fort Worth, TX-raised singer/songwriter and musician Leon Bridges quickly established himself as one of America’s most exciting new artists with 2015’s platinum-certified, Grammy Award-nominated debut Coming Home, which featured breakout singles “Coming Home” and “River.” Bridges followed up with 2018’s critically applauded Good Thing, which saw him expanding upon his sonic panic while earning a Grammy Award-nomination for Best R&B Album and a Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance for “Bet Ain’t Worth the Hand.”

2021’s Gold-Diggers Sound was the acclaimed Atlanta-born, Fort Worth-based artist’s most adventurous album to date, and the album received critical applause while earning another Grammy Award-nomination for Best R&B Album. His most recent album, 2024’s Lean is an introspective effort inspired by his Texan roots and his artistic evolution.

Along with his solo work. he has collaborated with equally acclaimed act Khraungbin on two albums — 2020’s Texas Sun and 2022’s Texas Moon. Bridges who has earned six Grammy Award-nominations — three for Best R&B Album — and a Grammy Award-win, has also collaborated with an eclectic array of artists, including John Mayer, Kacey Musgraves, Robert Glasper, Terrace Martin, Gunna, The Avanlanches, Gary Clark, Jr. and Shaboozey, all of which showcase a remarkably versatile artist.

Adding to a rapidly growing profile, Bridges has a long-held reputation as a captivating live performer, who has made a run of the global concert and festival circuit, playing an increasing number of the world’s major festivals while making appearances on Saturday Night Live, NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert and Austin City Limits.

Bridges fourth album, the J Lloyd-Watson and Lydia Kitto-produced fifth album, Happiness Anytime is slated for a September 25, 2026 release through Columbia Records. Happiness Anytime reportedly sees the acclaimed Atlanta-born, Fort Worth-based artist returning to the warmth of his 2015 debut but while seeing the members of Jungle and Bridges’ signature sensibilities blending to create something entirely new — an expansive, borderless sound and approach that pushes the Grammy Award-winning artist into band new territory. The material reportedly echoes Fela Kuti, Paul Simon’s 1990 effort The Rhythm of The Saints and Jorge Ben without feeling referential. At its core, the album is reportedly boundary pushing while remaining unmistakably Leon Bridges, rooted in his imitable vocal, effortless charisma and melodic sensibilities.

The album was written and recorded across three fast and furious sessions with Lloyd-Watson and Kitto, a collaboration that can trace its origins to the trio repeatedly crossing paths across the global festival circuit. The trio decided to attempt a low-pressure writing session at Los Angeles-based Chaplin Recording Studios. Four days later, they ha come up with six songs — half of the completed album. Pino Palladino contributed bass during the sessions. The end result is a timeless body work of that feels unfussy and breezy — that they all hope will make the listener feel happiness anytime they play it.

“For me, happiness is not a feeling that you chase,” Bridges says,“I want this album to be something that lingers with people and lingers in people’s bones. There’s this feeling that we have to fix the problems of the world; you feel inadequate or it can be debilitating. My role is to be light. I hope that comes across with this album.” With Happiness Anytime, Bridges actively sets out with a desire to not only find joy but to find movement again.

Early in his career, Bridges was out in front dancing — and that was something that has wanted recently. He wanted to get back to making music to dance to, music to excise the stresses and frustrations of modern life, and to feel grounded in the rhythms of the present. Interestingly, over the summer, he has been introducing audiences to the new album with sets in Paris, Cannes, Los Angeles, Montreux Jazz Festival, London, Chicago and Outside Lands. And as he has being playing the new material live, he has unveiled “Leon Bridges Presents Happiness Anytime,” a reimagined stage production featuring a vinyl DJ, a horn section, three backing vocalists and Bridges out in front dancing and singing. Partly inspired by the communal spirt of Jamaican dancehall culture, the live set mirrors the album’s emphasis on movement — and on dancing your stresses and frustrations away for a bit.

In the meantime, Bridges recently released the second of three, 4-song EPs that will comprise the entire album. The second EP features album title track “Happiness Anytime,” “All Day All Night” feat. Lydia Kitto, “Fly Baby,” and “Talk It Over.” Featuring a strutting and jubilant, dance at the function groove beneath Bridges’ effortless, old-school soul-inspired delivery, “Talk It Over” is an ode to working things out and trying to make it all work that seemingly channels a blend of Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together,” and The Rhythm of the Saints while showcasing his unerring knack for catchy hooks.

Directed by D+Y and shot in Amsterdam, the accompanying video features Bridges and a multi-racial collection of beautiful dancers performing choreography by the Plue Agency. The video is centered around the album’s inspirations — movement, dancing and ebullient, infectious joy. And honestly, we could all use a lot more joy in our lives.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Colleen “Cosmo” Murphy’s Summery Remix of Joshua Idehen’s “Everything Everywhere All At Once”

After nearly two decades in London‘s poetry scene, Joshua Idehen found widespread recognition with the viral success of “Mum Does The Washing,” a poignant, witty pice set to music by his creative partner Ludvig Parment, a.k.a. Saturday, Monday. The success of “Mum Does The Washing” led to sold-out shows, major festival appearances — including Glastonbury — and a new chapter in Idehen’s artistic life. 

Initially drawn to film, Idehen’s poetic journey began after being captivated by Dizzee Rascal‘s Vexed on Channel U. Inspired by Scroobius Pip, he began doing poetry with music, collaborating with the likes of LV, Benin City and Sons of Kemet. His career as a singer/songwriter/performer coincided alongside a series of personal challenges, including a divorce and mental health struggles. Relocating to Stockholm during the COVID-19 pandemic gave him space to reflect and begin anew. 

That period of rebirth led to Idehen’s highly-anticiapted debut album, I Know You’re Hurting, Everyone Is Hurting, Everyone Is Trying, You Have Got To Try, which was released earlier this year through Heavenly Recordings. Made with his longtime collaborator Parment, the album is a sonic embrace for the weary, mixing house-tinged beats, choral flourishes and lyrical meditations on hope, self-worth and collective resilience.

The album includes the previously released “It Always Was,” “Don’t Let It Get You Down,” and “This Is The Place.” Idehen and Heavenly Recordings shared Colleen “Cosmo” Murphy’s Cosmodelica remix of I Know You’re Hurting, Everyone is Hurting. Everyone Is Trying, You Have Got To Try track “Everything Everywhere All At Once.” The album version features Idehen’s vocal over an atmospheric, gently throbbing production to create a song that simultaneously sounds like a house music-inspired take on The Streets and a paranoid, sleepless walk with the narrator’s rapid-fire thoughts during the uneasy isolation of COVID restrictions and lockdowns. The summery Colleen “Cosmo” Murphy’s Cosmodelica remix pairs Idehen’s vocal with a buoyant house music production featuring a bouncing and strutting bass line, a playful percussive rhythm and glistening synths. The remix opens the curtains and parts the clouds to reveal bit of sunshine in the gloom, giving the song a deeper sense of resilience through the think of it, even if you have to fake it.