SWANO5IVE. Ep4.

A record that proves Orrin is the real deal:
Orrin- REWIND

Gahhh damn man! I have to be very honest, when I first heard 'Cheat CODE' by Orrin, I thought it was a cool record, but I wasn't very sold on him being a consistent artist. Man, I was wrong. Completely wrong. Orrin delivers again on 'REWIND'.

A song that gives me chills of beauty:
Lossapardo- ATRUMS

Anyone that knows me knows that Frank Ocean's Blonde is a highly influential piece of art in my life. It showed me that minimalism in art is something that people desire, something that's acceptable, but most importantly- when done correctly, it can be immensely impactful. Lossapardo gives us lyrics of human vulnerability coupled with a gently played guitar strings. Everything here feels careful and so particular in its approach. An undeniably gorgeous piece of work. When the drums finally do come in, it's an unbelievable culmination of the swings we experience in real life and climactic artistry. 

A track that'll make you feel fierce:
Amber Noel: Show and Tell

I never really feared the person who went out of there way to be loud or fake tough to prove their point. I've always respected the people who were very matter of fact and straightforward about their asks. That's what Noel is doing here. You want me? Really? Prove it...

A track that reminds of me of summers in the car with my mother and grandmother:
BVDHI- ANTIDOTE

Growing up, both sides were really into music (and still are). My dads side was more Jazz, Rock, HipHop, and my mom's side was more Bossa Nova, House, and Afrobeats. This record takes me to some of the summer days heading to brunch with my mom and grandma just jamming and grooving. I can vividly see my grandmother in the passenger seat listening to this record moving her arms and shoulders in perfect rhythm. Thanks for making this BVDHI!

A track that takes me back to being on Wayman Tisdale's Smooth Jazz Cruise:
Nick Marke- Touché Hombre

Simply put- this piece is smooth, and all around a display of musicians who know exactly what they are doing. Those horns that you see depicted above are most definitely personified by the musicians on this record.