Monét X Change [2024] - GREY RAINBOW, Vol. 1 [PEG Records] (Full Album)

Monét X Change is the stage name of Kevin Akeem Bertin, a Saint Lucian-American drag queen, singer, podcaster, and reality television personality. 

Known for competing on RuPaul's Drag Race (2018) and placed sixth but crowned the season's Miss Congeniality and later winning RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars (2018–2019).

Bertin was born in Brooklyn, NYC, and attended the Professional Performing Arts School in Manhattan and trained in opera performance at Westminster Choir College of Rider University.

Recording as Monét X Change since 2018, this is the sophomore album, "GREY RAINBOW, Vol. 1", which is pretty R&B oriented. The standouts for us are "STREETLIGHT" and the closing track "BODY" which was released as the lead single on 23 Feb and a music video produced for it.

No doubt the bigots, musical or otherwise, won't touch this, but that's their loss as this artist can sing, on "BODY" in particular, which is a smooth soul ballad in the traditional style with a superb production.

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Details

Rating:	8.3
Explicit:	Y
Genre/Style:	New Soul / R&B
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	PEG Records
Cat No:	None
Date:	17/05/2024
Price:	£6.99

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Ike Noble & The Uptights [2024] - Good Thing / Look A Little Higher [Athens Of The North #Ath 153]

Two songs taken from a 2022 Athens Of The North compilation "Look A Little Higher" by Ike Noble & The Uptights.

Both were unreleased until then, but the title track and "Good Thing" are being released digitally and on 7" vinyl on 24 May by the label.

The lead side, "Good Thing" is a funky R&B chugger cover of Frank Williams Rocketeers (Lloyd 1966) / Pearl Dowell (Saadia 1970) with "Look A Little Higher" being a deep soul ballad.

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Details

Rating:	8.1
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	R&B / Deep Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital / 7" Vinyl
Label:	Athens Of The North
Cat No:	Ath 153
Date:	24/05/2024
Key/BPM:	1B/150 / 8B/87
Price:	£2 / £9.99

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Jordanna Maria [2024] - Rescue Me [Self Released]

Jordanna Maria French is a singer/songwriter from Lincoln, NE, who has released five singles in the last  four years since May '21.

Her latest "Rescue Me" follows "I Apologise" released just last Friday (26 Apr) which is more pop/country oriented, so her new soulful R&B oriented single is not typical of her material but we like it.

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Details

Rating:	8.5
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Soulful R&B
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	03/05/2024
Key/BPM:	3A/71
Price:	£1

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Hari [2024] - Mixed Reviews on Love [SO Records] (Full EP)

We got a preview of the the forthcoming debut EP "Mixed Reviews on Love" by Haripriya Ngalete last Sep with "Say U Love Me" (Jul '23) and  "More Than A Woman" (Sep '23) bundled together.

In the interim she's released a few collaborations along with two singles "Good Things" (Oct '23) and "Lady" (Feb '24).  The last song, "Craving", was actually released as a single in March '21.

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Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	EP
Media:	Digital
Label:	SO Records
Cat No:	None
Date:	26/04/2024
Price:	£1.79

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Key [2024] - New Era [Self Released] (Full Album)

A new album, "New Era", which appears to be a debut from an artist named Key who we can find no information about. From song writing credits, which attributes each song to the same writer, we would assume that Kiara Lee is her real name.

The song that perked our ears up is the reggae infused "Love", the remainder is predominantly hip-hop/r&b.

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Details

Rating:	7.6 (8.2 for "Love")
Explicit:	Y
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	13/04/2024
Price:	£7.99

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

John Houston [2024] - Treat Her Like A Lady [Visionary Music Group]

Contemporary gospel artist John Houston takes on The Temptations' 1984 hit "Treat Her Like A Lady" giving it an update with an R&B twist. It's more of an interpolation / interpretation than a cover.

Official video below of The Temptations version feat. Ali-Ollie Woodson on lead from It's showtime at the Apollo.

As an aside, a well known Northern Soul DJ started playing The Temptations song around the turn of the century. He was clearly oblivious to the fact that the song was a #2 R&B / #48 Hot 100 hit in the US and a #12 pop hit in the UK that was hammered to death in the clubs in the mid 80s.

 

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Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	R&B / Cover Version
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Visionary Music Group
Cat No:	None
Date:	05/04/2024
Key/BPM:	6B/90
Price:	£1

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

K.Marie [2024] - Feel A Way [Self Released] (Full EP)

Chicago singer. songwriter, model  K.Marie (Kayla Bell) has been singing since she was 5 yrs old and writing songs for almost a decade. 

She debuted in Aug 2020 with a single "A Love Letter To You" and, with another six singles and two EPs now under her belt, releases her third EP, "Find A Way", consisting of six new songs.

It's what we would describe as soulful R&B and rather pleasant if that's your thing. Our choice cut is the final track "Crazy Love".

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Details

Rating:	8.2
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	R&B / Neo Soul
Format:	EP
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	29/03/2024
Price:	£5.94

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

Serayah [2024] - Archives [Cleopatra XIX Enterprises] (Full EP)

Singer, actor, model Serayah McNeill from Encinitas, CA, is known for her role as fledgling singing artist Tiana Brown on the 2015 Empire TV series. 

She released her first music in 2017 with the single "Driving" which evolved into an EP "Addicted" in 2018.

Her latest release is a four track EP, "Archives", which is pretty much R&B oriented from which we'd pick "Sleep Good" as our choice cut which is a bit more neo soul oriented.

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Details

Rating:	7.8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul / R&B
Format:	EP
Media:	Digital
Label:	Cleopatra XIX Enterprises
Cat No:	None
Date:	18/03/2024
Price:	£3.96

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved

SiR [2024] - HEAVY [Top Dawg Entertainment] (Full Album)

SiR is singer/songwriter Darryl Farris out of Inglewood, CA, who debuted with "Seven Sundays" in 2015. Since his third and last album, "Chasing Summer" (Aug '19), he has been self-medicating from depression but is back after rehab with his fourth album "HEAVY" today. The 37 yr old states that the latest album is "as personal as I’ll ever get in my music".

Farris is from a musical family, his mother was a backing singer for Chaka Khan, Michael Jackson and Anita Baker and his bothers are rapper D Smoke and R&B singer Davion Farris

He has written songs with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Jill Scott, Anita Baker, Robert Glasper, Tyrese since he began his career. His writing credits can also be found on recordings by Ledisi, Alicia Keys, Anderson .Paak, Alex Isley and Joyce Wrice to name a few.

His only previous appearance on these pages was on a collaboration with Robert Glasper and Alex Isley, "Back To Love", for which he received a Grammy nomination at this year's awards. On that post we referred to his cover of The Isley's "Footsteps In The Dark" (Nov '20)

Our choice cut is "Poetry In Motion" which features Anderson .Paak. A few other tracks worthy of highlighting include: "You", "Only Human", "Nothing Even Matters" (single from Sep '22) and "Tryin' My Hardest". Hip-hop and R&B lovers may choose different tracks but these are our choices from a soul listener perspective.

It is also worth noting that the current digital price for the whole album on Amazon is a mere £5.49.

You can read an interview with SiR talking about the new album on Grammy.com posted only yesterday.

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Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	R&B
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	Top Dawg Entertainment
Cat No:	None
Date:	22/03/2024
Price:	£5.49

Copyright © 2009-2024 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved