We’re back again for round two of “New Music Friday: Ampersand Edition.” To the three people who read this column, I apologize sincerely for missing last week—not only was I just a tad too busy with a new job, I was also pretty unmoved by last week’s releases. Luckily, I’ve settled into my new gig and this week’s new drops gave me more to work with.
Before we dive into my picks this week, I want to address the elephant in the room. Harry Styles is not on this list. That is for multiple reasons. One, everyone and their mother is already talking about the album, I don’t need to tell people to listen to it—they probably already have. Two, it wasn’t my favorite release this week. I was never a Directioner, but I do enjoy some of Harry’s solo music. I think Fine Line is actually a brilliant album. Unfortunately, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally was no such thing. I was actually quite bored with it, sorry to the Stylers out there—as much as I’d appreciate the extra page views, I hope they never see this. They scare me. And three, I’ll admit it, I’m still bitter. Harry’s House should not have beat Renaissance for Album of the Year at the Grammys three years ago. And for that, I will always have a bone to pick with Mr. Styles.
Now that that’s out of the way, here are three albums that might have missed your radar this New Music Friday.
Torn - Cobrah
Though it may not seem like it, I love the type of oontz oontz, electronic dance music that belongs in few places outside of a WeHo club’s dancefloor and for years, Cobrah has been one of my favorite artists producing that exact type of music. After listening to this diva for over half a decade, I’m so happy she has finally released her debut album Torn. And let me just say, it was worth the wait. The production on this album, from the opening track through the very end, scratches every itch in my brain. The lyrics are explicit and sexy and just the right amount of over-the-top—much to be expected from the artist who once sang “a real good puss” 24 times in one song (I counted). Songs like “IG” and “Charming” are perfect backing tracks for getting ready for the club and “Unoriginal” and “Excusez Moi” are exactly what you want to hear once you get there.
I haven’t gone out dancing much since moving to LA back in June. If I find out the clubs are bumping this, that will have to change.
Standout track: “Dog”
Jean - Yebba
Yebba is one of the greatest voices of right now, full stop. She’s the type of singer that makes me hit a stank face, want to take off my shoe and throw it, and scream “you better sing girl.”
That’s why it’s surprising for an artist most-known for her absolutely soaring vocals, uninimitable riffs and powerful belt to release an album like Jean where she is quite subdued in her singing. I knew Yebba for being an R&B vocal powerhouse. With Jean, she completely smashes all expectations I had of her as she leans more into her country and folk sensibilities—no doubt developed as a result of her growing up in West Memphis, Arkansas.
Despite the fact that I didn’t get the big vocals Yebba I was prepared for with Jean, I was pleasantly surprised by this different side of the singer. I realized really for the first time that on top of being a powerhouse vocalist, Yebba is also a prolific songwriter. Her skilled lyricism truly shines throughout the full LP but it really comes out in songs like the opening track “Forgiveness” and “Seven Years.” Yebba fans expecting a song like “My Mind” should leave their expectations at the door and open themselves up to the new world that Jean builds.
Standout track: “Seven Years”
Strictly 4 The Scythe - Denzel Curry, The Scythe
I am typically pretty unmoved by supergroups. I’ve found that sometimes they are not greater than the sum of their parts and that there’s a reason these artists started off as solo acts. That is not the case with The Scythe, a new Denzel Curry-helmed hiphop supergroup.
With just eight songs totaling only 29 minutes, Strictly 4 The Scythe is a short album. This means that the group wastes no time jumping in and getting down to business. Opening track “The Scythe” starts with a chant of “N****s tryna f**k with the scythe, you get sliced, ho.” This theme of “don’t f**k with me” reverberates throughout the entire album and is the guiding principle of The Scythe’s members that keeps them together. Tracks like “Lit Effect” and “Hoopty” feature the group’s members showing you that they know exactly who they are. With members from all across the South and influences pulled straight from the iconic Southern hiphop lexicon, The Scythe is both a love letter to the region, its music, its history and an indication of what the future holds for Southern rap.
If you’re a fan of Southern rap or horrorcore hiphop, this is for you.
Standout track: “Hoopty”