Review: Jay Soul - Stay With Me

The UK has been a hotbed of soul music singers for years, giving launch to artists like Amy Winehouse, Joss Stone, Adele, and most recently, Sam Smith, who has taken the recording world by storm. Now, South London born and raised Jay Soul is set to toss his hat into the ring, hoping that his signature style of eclectic blues, R&B, and pop will keep the trend going. 

The eldest of three siblings, Soul was raised in a single-parent home that encouraged him to pursue his talents. Among those talents was a genuine proclivity for working with technology, which the artist was able to parlay into a successful career as an IT professional. Yet, another muse also called to him, that of music. Taking time to work on his vocal skills as part of a gospel choir and later being afforded the opportunity to perform background vocals for several UK urban acts. Now, he’s stepping out of the shadows and is taking the mic into his own hands, set to deliver his own brand of Soul.

Part of that brand involves providing a dichotomy of sound, offering up some bright, sunny tones alongside darker, moodier vibes that evoke elements of the highs and lows of life, that same tone bleeding into the lyrical content as well.

“People will be surprised when they hear the album because I want to cover a broad range of subjects,” Soul shares. “It won’t just be a bland R& B album about love and relationships. It will also be about what I’ve witnessed around me, although I’m no activist. I believe in capitalism but also in presenting people with opportunities. I have been presented with opportunities but I have also looked for them. Everyone in this country is lucky in that sense." 

Soul gets things off to a strong start with the title track, framing his warm, smooth vocals against a sparse backdrop that really lets him shine. The subtle instrumentation really allows for the nuances of the artist's voice to stand out and proves to be one of the record's strongest tracks. "Any Day" takes another approach, offering up a beat-laden dance jam that lets Soul have a little fun, layering vocals and getting the party going. That's an angle that he echoes on the appropriately titled "Dance" as well, evoking thoughts of classic 90s R&B and pop jams.

"First Love" drops some more old school vibes, with rich and resonant keys highlighting Soul's tight baritone while "Get a Job" tackles some unexpected territory with a kicking groove that provides some sonic texture. But Soul is at his best when things are stripped down and "Afraid Reprised (Live)" and "Thank You" find the artist at his best, drawing both emotion and integrity into his sound.

While there are a lot of strong tracks, there are a few stumbles, namely when Soul tries to do too much as he does on "Up," the beat almost losing the richness of his voice and the layering of the vocals just feeling overwrought. Those same layering issues color "Inspiration" as well, the arrangement subdued but the layered vocal and a less than successful falsetto letting the artist down this time out.

But thankfully, those hiccups are the exception to the rule here and the whole of Jay Soul's Stay With Me showcases a bright artist on the rise. Soul evokes thoughts of an old soul while infusing plenty of his own unique charm into these songs, making this a promising debut that will have listeners hoping to hear more.

Review: Matty Ride - Self-Titled EP

Summertime is once again upon us and that means it’s time to lock in some killer jams. You know what I’m talking about; they’re the kind of songs that are perfect for cruising to the beach, the top down, hair blowing, and the sun warm on your face as you soak up the rays and good times. And to that end, please allow me to introduce you to none other than up and coming artist Matty Ride and his self-titled debut EP.

Ride comes with a strong pedigree, being born in southern California while being raised in the heartland of Idaho before being invited to Music City, U.S.A. by none other than legendary producer and player Tommy Sims (Bruce Springsteen, Jonny Lang, Garth Brooks) to write and record. With Sims’ tutelage, Ride was exposed to a whole new side of Nashville, a side that would have a large impact on the budding artist.

“I was blown away by the level of musicianship I was exposed to,” he shares. “I was all at once inspired, humbled, and motivated. But I knew that if this was the type of music being created in Nashville, this was where I was meant to be.”

He took quickly to the town and the town took to him as well, seeing his already solid talent increase and grow, his name and work becoming more well known. It even garnered him the chance to work with blues star Jonny Lang, the two collaborating with Sims to pen the track “Breakin’ In” for Lang’s latest album.

But Ride was focused on his own music and his debut captures the man in a nutshell: fun loving, lighthearted, upbeat, and immensely talented.

“That Girl” opens the record up, a bright, danceable guitar groove leading the way while Ride steps into the track with rich, smooth vocals a sound that recalls touches of Maroon 5 and Dave Barnes. His delivery is solid throughout and the hook keeps the toes tapping before bridging into the danceable playfulness of “All Over Again.” Again, solid soul undergirds the proceedings with a chunky arrangement that are bright and breezy. “Come On and Dance” will have you doing just that, Ride tapping into his old school soul for some classic tones, thumping bass notes merging with a smooth and sunny keyboard fill while the artist croons out his lighthearted lyric.

But it’s “First Day of Summer” which really helps to make this a great summertime listen. With guest work from Beta and Fyutch, Ride delivers a track that is pure summer with shiny tones and a danceable arrangement. There’s a nostalgic element to the track, something which is reinforced even more on the music video which features a plethora of 80s related throwbacks from the “Back to the Future” DeLorean, Day-Glo colors, and a riffing guitarist who rocks a classic Stryper shirt. If it sounds like a lot of fun, that’s because it is and with his foils Beta and Fyutch providing a solid contrast, Ride works it like it’s his.

 

“Hold Me Closer” closes the EP out for Ride and again finds the artist digging deep into the past to showcase a silky soul ballad. The beat is perfectly gentle and the arrangement full of emotion and polished instrumentation as Ride delivers great lines like “I can hear the melody/But I can’t play the song/Once upon a time I knew the words/Nowadays I’m struggling/Just to sing a verse.” But, chances are, once Ride’s music has got its hooks into you, you won’t have any trouble singing along.

There’s a good reason that Matty Ride was tapped to come to Nashville to kickstart his young career and his debut EP showcases the solid talent and potential resting in the young artist. Smooth, polished, and ready for action, Ride takes listeners on a delightful romp through summer love and invites you to come along.

Review: Cookie Rabinowitz - Four Eyed Soul

The old adage holds that you can’t judge a book by its cover and, in the case of rising artist Cookie Rabinowitz, that’s doubly true. For, if you were to just glance at Rabinowitz with music in mind, you might be tempted to see his hipster jeans, oversized pimp glasses, and kicking Vans and label him as some sort of electronica wizard. Yet, one listen to the artist’s debut, Four Eyed Soul, and listeners will realize that this is a singer who’s a little less Moby and a lot more Marvin Gaye.

But Rabinowitz didn’t start in the world of soul, R&B, and hip-hop. Rather, the eclectic artist began his journey as “an introspective folk singer with reclusive tendencies.” Yet, when finances became an issue, the artist found himself working at a gentlemen’s club as a DJ where he became entranced with the beat-heavy music and swarthy hooks, drawing him into a new creative space.

Along that journey, Rabinowitz came alongside hip-hop pioneer Schoolly D who helped to mentor the young artist. The tandem worked together with guitarist Erik Horvitz on the animated urban music interview show, The Cookie Rabinowitz Show, which later led to Rabinowitz heading out with Schoolly D and a plethora of other rappers, with Public Enemy among them, on a tour that would change the artist’s trajectory forever.

“The hip-hop community really embraced me. It was eye opening. Schoolly let me do my thing and shine – I was able to sing and play guitar at 3,000 capacity venues,” he recalls. “That inspired me to dive into that world.”

That inspiration and the artist’s creativity collide in full harmony on Four Eyed Soul, a term the artist coined to describe his blend of sounds which borrows the best of the old while bringing it firmly into the future with swells of hip-hop, soul, R&B, as well as rock. And backed by some of Philly’s finest, Rabinowitz steps out and makes some lovely music.

“Sing Alone, Sing Along” gets things off to a killer start, a smooth, funky groove carrying forth the artist’s silky vocals, complete with playful falsetto while he offers up introspective thoughts about the lack of disconnect in a digital age. A rich guitar solo provides some additional color while “Crakka Smile” employs some sweet keyboards and more falsetto to hammer home its message.

“Every St.” lets Rabinowitz’s hip-hop side out a bit, his lyrical flow solid while the arrangement draws from a multiplicity of ranges and is followed by “Life on Mars,” carrying similar tones complete with some sampling and vinyl scratches, providing some bonus texture. Rich funk steps to the forefront on “Pass You By,” vintage guitar effects in use alongside thumping bass notes and bright keyboards while “Text You With My Mouth” lets a persistent beat carry the load as the artist again implicates the age of social media.

“Get Yer Own” is a beat-centric hip-hop jam, a collection of sonic textures merging together while “Blue” hearkens back to 70s soul for a commentary on racial tension. A bit of alternative rock makes its way into the set list with “Underground,” the programmed beats melding with raw guitars and Rabinowitz’s nuanced vocals as “Self Loathing” and “Rock & Roll Karaoke” again bridge the gap between soul, R&B, and hip-hop, the artist again breaking out his falsetto for the high notes.

“More Tired Than Lonely” is an album highlight, solo guitar opening things up as the artist sings of his reluctance to enter into a relationship due to the finger-pointing and baggage he’s experienced, “too tired to take the blame, too tired to hear you told me.” It’s a smooth, simple groove that carries the lyric well and definitely stands out while “Talking to Pigeons” closes things out in fine fashion, another mash up of genres flowing together in sweet success.

Cookie Rabinowitz might not be what you’d expect when you first see him but after you hear him you wouldn’t want anything else. Bridging the gap between multiple urban genres and infusing his own introspective folk leanings, the artist successfully crafts tracks that carry their own sense of soul for a new generation.