Sydney Raneé [2022] - W.U.A.G.I [Self Released] (Full EP) OUT NOW!

L.A.'s "Sultry Songstress" Sydney Raneé, who has featured on the blog many times, the last  time in Jan 2022 with her chart topping single "Wake Up & Get It", is back with a new four track EP "W.U.A.G.I" premiered here a couple of days ago but now released today (13 May 2022). 

It includes her last single and the one before "One Night Only" (Aug 2021) and two new songs "Catch These Feelings" and "Reconnect", all self written and produced.

Sydney is certainly getting noticed as she has shared her music via digital and live performances for Jam in the Van, Songbird Sessions, Melrose Trading Post, Acoustic Sessions LA, and SoFar Sounds and has also featured in 911: Lone-star; Dynasty and MTV’s The Real World as well as being invited as a featured performer on the 2020 Daytime Emmys. She now also has a weekly residency at The Rhythm Room in down-town L.A.

Her new project explores four stages of love: Self-Love, Falling in Love, Lust and Exclusive Love. The EP opens with the title track "Wake Up and Get It" a song addressing the stress and weight of the world while balancing feelings and the need for control (Self-Love) which Syndey states contains elements of TLC with a kick of Mary J. Blige. . "Catch These Feelings" follows which explores the early phases of courting (Falling in Love). Track three, "Reconnect", takes the listener on a journey to reconnect with an old flame in a stripped back 90’s R&B inspired vibe (Lust). Finally "One Night Only" is packed with a driving beat and Sydney’s dreamy vocals, about gaining access to a crush (Exclusive Love).

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Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	Y "Catch These Feelings"
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	EP
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	13/05/2022
Value:	£3.95

Lena Byrd-Miles [2022] - W.O.W. (Walk On Water) [MyBlock]

Released last week (6 May 2022) is the third (solo) single from Lena Byrd-Miles, who I can find little about but must surely have a gospel background with those powerful pipes. Also, another clue is that Eric Dawkins (Dawkins & Dawkins) is a co-writer of the single "W.O.W. (Walk On Water)" and also the label MyBlock which released "Positive", the last single from Erica Campbell in March.

Now having found her facebook, it describes her as 'one of the most sought-after vocalists in contemporary gospel'.

I also noticed that she featured on PJ Morton's 2020 album "The Gospel According to PJ".

I've also included her first single "This Is The Day" from 2019. What an incredible voice!

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Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul / Gospel
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	06/05/2022
Key/BPM:	9A/96
Value:	£1

Karla Felecia Scaife [2022] - Just Call [Imagination Station]

Karla Felecia Scaife is a self-produced singer/songwriter from southeast Tennessee who seems to have emerged in 2018 and has released around ten singles and three albums in that short time.

I'm not quite sure how to describe her latest single "Just Call" released yesterday (12 May 2022). Whilst it's traditional (with a bit of an 80s sound, especially in the intro), and is very soulful and gospel/spiritual-like, it also has a contemporary feel. Not that it needs a label, as it's just good soulful music. Give this one a few listens as it gets under your skin.

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Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Imagination Station
Cat No:	None
Date:	12/05/2022
Key/BPM:	10A/65
Value:	£1

Allysha Joy [2022] - Torn : Tonic [First Word Records] (Full Album)

Allysha Joy is from Melbourne, Australia (aka Naarm it's Aboriginal name which she uses) and is the lead singer for 30/70 Collective. She released her debut solo album "Acadie : Raw" in 2018 and follows it today with her new album "Torn : Tonic".

Not one for the faint-hearted or traditionalists as it's quite a genre-bending, eclectic mix of future soul, jazz, broken beats and everything else bar the kitchen sink! 

Three tracks have already been let loose as singles "Calling You" with Ego Ella May (last week 6 May), "Still Dreamin'" with Rara Zulu (Apr) and "Let It" (Mar). I think my pick of the new material would have to be "Remedy" and "Healing" but it is definitely one of those album that needs to be listened to quite a few times to full appreciate as it's very different.

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Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Future Soul / Neo Soul / Blue-Eyed
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	First Word Records
Cat No:	None
Date:	13/05/2022
Value:	£7.49

Tank & The Bangas [2022] - Red Balloon [Verve] (Full Album)

Having already released four singles from it ("No ID" (Jan), "Stolen Fruit" (Feb), "Why Try" (Mar) and "Oak Tree" (Apr), the new album by Tank & The Bangas,  "Red Balloon", is out today.

With fifteen tracks on the album means that eleven are fresh, but unfortunately from these only a few appealed on first listen: "Cafe Du Monde", "Jellyfish" and "Where Do We All Go" featuring Lalah Hathaway. A glaring omission from the album is "Black Folk", a single they released with Alex Isley and Maesgo in  Feb this year.

I think a couple of the singles, "Stolen Fruit" followed by "Why Try", are the standouts and based on these I was hoping for a stronger set from a soul perspective, but I'm sure the R&B/Hip-hop lovers will be satisfied with it. I think we have to accept that soul music, as we'd like it, is a dying genre and have to take what we can get and five tracks from fifteen isn't bad!

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Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	Y Tracks: 2,3,4,5,8,10,12,13
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul / Hip-Hop
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital/CD/LP
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	13/05/2022
Value:	£10.29/£12.74/£28.55