Tag: Take it Slow

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

 

Suzy Paradise is a Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter and the creative mastermind behind the emerging multimedia project Suzy & the Lifeguard. And with Suzy & the Lifeguard’s Bleu McAuley cowritten and produced self-tiled 2015 debut, which received a Best Jazz Song with Vocals nomination at the 14th Annual International Music Awards in 2016, Paradise quickly established a unique sound and aesthetic: a sci-fi dream world centered around swampy and sultry jazz and shimmering 60s psych pop paired with her old-timey, late night lounge-like vocals.

Her forthcoming Phil Joly-produced ANIMA EP is slated for a May 1, 2020 release. Recorded in Kauai at a friend’s chocolate farm/music studio, the EP reportedly takes the listener on a sultry and sensual journey through neon-tinged nightlife — with a moody and vibey ambience.“It’s vibier than the last record. It’s a bit darker overall, but it’s also still silly and fun,” Paradise says of the forthcoming EP. “I feel like it’s an honest reflection of not only what I have experienced in the last five years but also the fun and magical space we were in.” 

“Take It Slow,” ANIMA‘s slow-burning and sultry first single manages to sound indebted to classic Quiet Storm-era soul and jazz standards, complete with a gorgeous and expressive horn solo. But at its core, the song explores the complex and confusing dichotomy between desiring love and succumbing to lust — with the tacit understanding that in romantic relationships the lines between the two are frequently intertwined.

 

 

 

 

 

New Audio by William Ruben Helms

 

If you’ve been frequenting this site over the past couple of years, you’ve likely come across a post or two about JOVM mainstay act Monogem. Comprised of singer/songwriter Jen Hirsh and producer/songwriter Scott Smith, the indie electro pop act derives their name from a unique cosmic phenomenon — a Monogem Ring, the leftover glow of an supernova explosion.Interestingly enough, one of the largest monogem rings in the observable universe is located near the Gemini and Cancer constellations. And for Hirsh, whose birthday is on the cusp of the astrological signs Gemini and Cancer, the project’s name has a deeply personal and special meaning for the singer/songwriter.

Now, you may also know that in the same period of time Hirsh and Smith have received critical praise from the likes of Interview Magazine, Vice’s NOISEY, Elle Magazine, Indie Shuffle, Hillydilly, Earmilk and others, which has expanded their profile nationally — and that shouldn’t be terribly surprising as the duo has described their sound as “disco-tinged California pool party tunes” with elements of funk and soul. It’s been a while since I’ve heard from them but their latest single “Take It Slow” is arguably their most sensual, Quiet Storm-era R&B-tinged single released to date as Hirsh’s sultry and breathy vocals with glistening synths and propulsive, boom-bap like drum programming in a song that evokes a plaintive and urgent need, an aching vulnerability and a come-hither before it’s too late vibe that fits with the slinky production.