The Plug’n Play: June (‘24)
July 8, 2024
Illustration by Malaaya Adams
You can listen to the full playlist on Apple Music, Spotify, or Tidal
I’ve become somewhat sentimental to when albums are released, as a marker of the passage of time, and particularly partial to albums released during the summer months (I have a summer birthday, so I’m using that as my excuse for my partiality). The notion of the “summer album” — even if recorded during the winter months — looms large in the music fans’ mind; the idea that the sound can be used as a backdrop to block parties and cookouts, road trips and trips to the pool. In this way, the “summer album” is also about memory and a hope for future memories that we can look back fondly on. (In Philadelphia, it’s been unbearably hot the past few weeks, so my memories are about sweating).
June 2024 — the official beginning of summer — featured LPs from the likes of, NxWorries, Lucky Daye, Kaytranada, Lalah Hathaway, Bilal, and Hiatus Kaiyote, all of whom released exciting, new music. Then there were the new(er) artists that I’ve come to appreciate who also released LPs: Cruza, the genre-defying trio from Orlando, FL; Don Glori, Melbourne based composer, whose music feels equal parts indebted to Ronnie Foster and the Headhunters; and Fana Hues, the Pasedena-born singer-whose voice and writing can channel stillness while gliding over a broad set of production soundscapes.
Each month, Kevin and I select some of our favorite songs from the month, searching high and low for something new (to us at least, and hopefully for you too!), compiling them into a monthly playlist. While our tastes overlap in a lot of ways, they also diverge.
Songs 1 - 19 were selected by Kevin, and songs 20 - 32 were selected by me, Stanley. 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:
Love — Meshell Ndegeocello
On June 12th, Meshell Ndegeocello — the veteran vocalist, bassist, and composer — released Love, the lead single from her forthcoming James Baldwin tribute album. Love begins with isolated vocals, repeating the primary melody of the composition. Slowly, the song builds around the voice: drums and percussion, synth bass, and acoustic guitar. The groove is undeniable, and that’s primarily because of the space the composition allows for. Listening to Love, what was most striking to me was the refrain situated toward the middle of the tune; as the songs breaks down, the voices chant: “love takes off the mask that we fear we can’t live without / and we know we can’t live within.” For me, this chant is an invitation to inquire: what is my mask? What are our masks?
MoveOn — NxWorries
Why Lawd? — the long-awaited sophomore album from NxWorries, Knxwledge and Anderson .Paak — presents itself as a tragic comedy, one of the blues tradition. .Paak, our lead narrator, filed for divorce from his longtime wife in early 2024, setting the stage for a 19-track album to explore the many emotions associated with separation. Still, heartbreak, shame, delusion, and regret all feel oddly comical in .Paak’s hands. Set to the sound of a nylon-stringed guitar, muted horns, electric bass, and features one of many samples from John Smythe throughout the album (!), MoveOn embodies the tradition of the blues. On the first verse, .Paak sings: “So much pain runnin' through my veins / I know they wanna break me if they go out that way…” And much like the great Blues singers, the timbre of .Paak’s voice and his words bring the listener close to the emotional core of the moment.
Breakin’ the Bank — Lucky Daye
Algorithm — the third studio album from Singer-Songwriter Lucky Daye — is an exciting departure from the artist’s previous work. Here, the singer, accompanied by longtime collaborator and producer D’Mile, expands his sonic palette. Rhythm and Blues and Funk remain at the core on Lucky Daye’s latest album, but there’s also what might be considered Rock or Alternative (to the extent that we can draw lines of distinction between genres). Regardless of the name it’s given, the music sounds and feels good (the important part). Organized into two, distinct movements, Breakin’ The Bank is a standout track for me, on an album that is expertly crafted.
