WFNM Roundup #3 – Max Styler, Lyves, Charlotte Black, Yoshi Flower, Slowpoet
“Sleep Alone” is a new pop jam from Max Styler featuring vocals from Ella Boh. Ella’s innocent vocals soar effortlessly over Max’s distinct future bass production. This song has a summertime vibe with a heaviness (reminiscent of Louis The Child), but has an emotional center that feels genuine and plaintive. Released through Dim Mak, this is a powerful collaboration and I hope to see more from both artists (separately and together).
“Still” by Lyves features one of the coolest intros I’ve heard in a long time. Immediately, a choir of vocal stacks rise with a piano to create a beautiful atmosphere complete with moving water, birds, and other sounds of nature. The vocals/guitar are rhythmic, giving the spacious environment a sense of motion. Lyves’s falsetto is haunting and her lower register is sultry, all complimented by the minimal and occasionally glitchy production. This is the first song of a 8-part music & film series releasing over the next 8 months.
Charlotte Black has released “Nobody Else” which is the final of a trilogy of singles. This song highlights the strength of this Scottish vocalist and the writing/production is tight and energetic. This conclusion to this story of a summer love that may-or-may-not happen.
In her words:
“This is my favourite out of the three, for me it captures that intense feeling of summer love, and how in those fleeting fiery moments you really don’t want ‘Nobody Else’ – It concludes my trilogy by leaving listeners on a bit of an emotional cliff hanger. Will she or wont she pursue her summer love in the following tracks…” -Charlotte Black
Yoshi Flower has released his intense new track “Woke”. Yoshi has such a mellow vocal style, which contrasts the gritty and industrial trap production. Distorted guitars, electronic screeches, and trap hats move this track along, while also creating space for Yoshi’s words. The combination, along with solid vocal processing, is reminiscent of artists like blackbear, but with an incredibly unique spin (as FADER called it “effectively early Lana Del Rey except if her partying involved EDM”). Running a little under 2 minutes, this song is short and sweet bitter.
Slowpoet has released his new vibey single “Early Bloom”. This song builds in intensity, with arpeggiated synths and vocal layers tying the production together. The vocals are brooding and each harmony hits so well, creating powerful moments in the choruses and engaging moments in the verses. Shifting dynamics to create space for the vocals or building large moments free of vocals make every moment hit and the vocal’s absence felt. In the climax, there is an enticing poem spoken with a demonic lowness that grows with the production to an overwhelming distortion, leaving the listener floored by the end. This is the first track from Slowpoet’s upcoming “Déjà Vu EP”.