The Plug’n Play: May (‘23)

May 31, 2023

You can listen to the full playlist on Apple Music, Spotify, or Tidal

The Monthly Roundup:

Throughout the month, Kevin and I select some of our favorite releases. In a lot of ways, this playlist — The Plug’n Play — is an extension of our text thread where we send new music to each other throughout the month. We hope you dig it! Songs 1-13 were selected by me, Stanley. Songs 14-24 were selected by Kevin. As always, we hope you find a song you like and check out the larger body of work (and don’t put the playlist on shuffle!). Here are a few highlights from the month:

The Hide — Q

Foolishly, I was worried Q released his best songs on his EP, NOT ALONE, which came out a week before his album Soul,Present; that the album couldn’t possibly be better. Then I heard THE HIDE. And now, I think about how wrong I was.

Waterfalls — Emily King

Emily King’s music is incredibly gentle and patient — the song’s gain a beautiful type of momentum as they progress. Here, on Waterfalls, King is at her best: crafting intricately stacked vocal melodies, allowing the instrumentation to envelope and guide; she never shows her hand too soon, and rides the funkiest of grooves along the way.

FK — Bayonne

I came across Bayonne’s new album, Temporary Time, at the 11th hour. Listening to the album, I was immediately struck by his harmonic and production choices; sure, it could be categorized at “Dream Pop” — or something along those lines — but Bayonne’s doing something more. Also, FK reminds me of Prince’s Condition of the Heart (?) The finger cymbals and piano in particular. Nonetheless, it’s an exciting and refreshing album.