The Plug’n Play: February (‘22)
February 28, 2022
Below are some of our favorite songs from February and a bit about why we love them! The first 15 songs were selected by Kevin, and the last 13 songs were selected by me, Stanley.
As always, we hope you find a tune or two you dig and check out the entire album!
Stanley: Robert Glasper — Why We Speak (Featuring Esperanza Spalding and Q-Tip)
On Friday, February 25th, Robert Glasper released the third installment in what’s become a series of albums made as an homage to, and compendium of, Black music, Black Radio III. BRIII comes nearly 10 years to the date after the first installment, Black Radio, a landscape shifting moment in music. On the first installment, Glasper explicated the state of music, Black music in particular, stating that he felt charged to do something, to make something lasting and meaningful. Glasper, along with his band, The Experiment, pushed a tradition forward. Since Black Radio, a lot has changed for him as well. Glasper’s no longer backed The Experiment, but there are still a host of familiar names on the new album. Glasper’s won a number of GRAMMYs, and makes appearances on Late Night television (as a longtime Glasperite, this is still weird to see). He’s become one of the most sought after musicians in music, writing for film and television and producing for other artists. While much has changed for Glasper, Black Radio III has a feeling of familiarity, a return of sorts. On Why We Speak, Glasper enlists Esperanza Spalding and Q-Tip, for a funky tune that only this collection of artists could birth. Singing in French and English, Esperanza Spalding reminds us, regardless of the language, we speak to maintain our integrity.
Stanley: Rob Milton — Rollercoaster
On Showtime, Rob Milton’s latest offering, Milton explores the worlds of Funk and Disco. The EP situates itself in a budding and prolific discography for Milton, coming as a follow up to his 2021 album, All Boys Cry, and his 2020 joint album with Butcher Brown’s DJ Harrison, Everlasting. With each release, Milton shows his dexterity as a songwriter and vocalist, proving himself both nimble and having the ability to take on whatever shape the music calls for. For me, Rollercoaster, co-produced by Milton and Dana Johnson, is the standout track - it’s like taking Prince’s Head and melding with a Maurice White/Earth, Wind & Fire’s horn arrangement, all making for a wonderfully enjoyable and funky tune.
Stanley: DOE — Good Now
Over the past decade or so, the idea of what has traditionally been thought of as “Gospel” music has been tested. In its stead, “Contemporary Christian Music” — better known as “CCM” — has become the label of endearment; a not-so subtle marketing ploy, and look into the racial politics of music and church. In its form, CCM sits somewhere between (soft) Rock, Folk, and Gospel musics. The songs are catchy, with relatively simple melodic structures and lyrics; they’re designed for any church to be able to sing, from the Storefront to the megachurch. But what’s come with the increased prevalence of CCM (and its acolytes, “Worship Music”), is a watering down of both the gospel espoused by Jesus, and artistic creativity.
On DOE’s debut, solo album, Clarity, the singer-songwriter and guitarist, offers a breath of fresh air. Sonically, DOE’s album pulls on both traditional and contemporary R&B, it’s got a mid-2000s feel at times (Undoing’s a good example of this) but also reminiscent of some of Solange’s work (the title track reminds me of Solange’s Mad). Lyrically, DOE departs from much of the thematic commonalities you’ll find in modern Christian music; she’s not presenting herself as someone perfect or chasing some puritanical goal, but as someone who lives and struggles, and finds beauty in that.
