The Plug’n Play: January (‘25)
January 31, 2025
Illustration by Malaaya Adams
You can listen to the full playlist on Apple Music or Spotify
On the Cover: Philadelphia-based pianist, composer, and producer, Corey Bernhard. On January 24th, Bernhard released his sophomore album, A Blessed Leap Into Eternity.
If you’re looking for new music, this is the place for you! Each month, Kevin and I select some of our favorite songs from the past month, compiling them into one playlist. While our tastes overlap in a lot of ways, they also diverge. Ultimately, these songs represent what has drawn us in, made us curious, or feel something.
Songs 1 - 18 were selected by me, Stanley. Songs 19-30 were selected by Kevin. We hope you find a song you like and check out the larger body of work, whether it’s an EP or an album. Below are a few words on some of my favorite songs from the month:
Crystal Tears — Jaleesa
I came to Jaleesa’s music somewhat serendipitously — clicking around on one of Spotify’s playlists (as I often do). Listening to Crystal Tears, the artists latest single from her forthcoming album Soladite, I was immediately struck by the opening sounds of the flute, violin, and bass guitar; the vibraphone and glockenspiel patiently playing the melody. Groove and feel are abundant in this track. Jaleesa, who is Afro-Danish, describes ‘70s Italian film scores and neo-soul as points of sonic inspiration. Here, Jaleesa carries a rich tradition of Scandinavian soul music, emerging from her local music scene working alongside producer, Christoffer Holm Clausen.
Sagittarius — Corey Bernhard
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been teaching a course entitled, Listening to the City: Soundscapes, Music, and Place. The course, which is for City & Regional Planning and Urban Studies students, considers how sound is racialized; how genres are constructed; how sound organizes bodies and place, and more. This is to say, listening to Corey Bernhard’s new album, particularly Sagittarius, I was struck by his use of environmental sounds: the sound of kids playing, the sounds of a city, keys jingling, the sound of a siren.
Sagittarius — which has a nearly 8-minute run time — moves in waves. The opening moments are marked by Bernhard’s upright piano and Yesseh Ali’s flute, bass clarinet, and saxophones, then Lenny Mobley’s drums slowly come into focus paired with Jon Smith’s bass, all playing with intensity and groove. As the song reaches an apex, a siren emerges, a break, and the composition’s intensity settles. It’s a fabulous body of work.
