NEW MUSIC: Shura - Touch

After lending her light-as-a-feather whispers to London producer Hiatus's atmospheric post dubstep soundscapes, Shura's emotional identity thus far has been hidden behind cryptic musings on life and love. The South London singer's debut single "Touch" shows an altogether more down to earth and human side of her.

Warm pads and comforting R&B beats carry a gorgeous and affecting vocal, as Shura admits "something's changed and I don't know why". The simplicity of the message in "Touch" is a far cry from Hiatus collaborations such as "We Can Be Ghosts Now". Her musings are now worn on her sleeve, heartfelt and honest; "I wanna touch you but there's history, I can't believe that it's been three years" she later murmurs. Her voice, once mysterious and icy, now betrays a vulnerability and a racing heartbeat.

Follow Shura on SoundCloud below.

FOR FANS OF: BANKS, Haim, Jessie Ware

- Joe Copplestone, 11.04.14

NEW MUSIC: Rubee Rayne - Breathe

Rubee Rayne is an anomaly. To look at her tough-nut Brixton image (the girl's from Berkshire btw) you'd picture another Amplify Dot or Ms Dynamite - and there'd be nothing wrong with that. But new single "Breathe" is a pleasant surprise. It's less UK grime, and more US post-R&B, with Rayne's woozy slurred vocals and the lazy ambient synths on "Breathe" (courtesy of quirky UK producer El-Train) coming across like "Take-Care" era Drake. 

Rubee Rayne has 3 hypnotic gems available for free download on her SoundCloud, which you should snap up soon before "Breathe" finds itself A-listed on Radio 1.

FOR FANS OF: Jhene Aiko, Banks, FKA Twigs

- Joe Copplestone, 6.2.14

POPDAR: FKA Twigs - Papi Pacify

I would point out the FKA Twigs was formerly known as Twigs, but as you can see, she beat me to the punch.

Twigs' EP1 was a dark and experimental effort - disturbing and unnerving industrial R&B that still managed to be subtly sexy. Her second EP, helpfully titled EP2, concentrates a little more on that final description, with Twigs' voice breathing and floating over a much warmer trip-hoppy ambience on each track.

But on EP highlight "Papi Pacify", the nearest thing to a radio-friendly track Twigs' has produced to date, she allows herself to be more overtly sexual and as a result delivers the most arresting vocal of her output so far.

The track seductively creeps through it's choppy, sparse verses that do very little to accompany Twigs' light and airy vocal, as she clasps at every note as if gasping for air. "Never tell me no" yelps Twigs breathlessly, begging "tell me I'm the one you want" - it feels like she's unleashing two EPs worth of sexual repression. But the real payoff is the exhilarating drop into Weeknd-territory for the *gasp* chorus (!), where Twigs' gleefully unleashes her catchiest hook to date, as a crushing hip hop beat gyrates against a sexually-charged growl of a bass line.

FKA Twigs' EP2 is available to download now from iTunes.

Official Website.
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FOR FANS OF: BANKS, The Weeknd, Etta Bond

Lisa Lewis - How We Do Things

There was absolutely no denying the husky, seductive voice of London soul singer Lisa Lewis from her jazzy first demos. However, the trippy, vibey Soul/R&B of new song "How We Do Things" is undeniably her calling, and has "breakout track" written all over it. 

Much like the subtler moments on Jessie Ware's debut record, "How We Do Things" is unafraid to drift off on its sexy, underwater groove because Lewis's powerful, bluesy voice commands the attention. She has the knack of making even the slightest change in projection sound magnificent. Effortless is a term frequently used with singers, but rarely accurate. In the case of Lisa Lewis, it's entirely appropriate.

FOR FANS OF: Jessie Ware, BANKS, Delilah

Banks - Warm Water (Prod. Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs)

The sudden surge of subdued, soulful singers in the wake of Jessie Ware's success is surely no coincidence, but more often than not, these singers rise to the challenge. The American Banks has a very British tinge to her warm, subtley aching voice, and Oxford dance prodigy TEED tones down the synthpop to create a shimmering and sparse post-R&B soundscape for Banks to vibe over. The toneful is thoughtful and chilled, and as Banks' sings "I think I may love you if you give me some time", it feels like it's not just Banks herself on the verge of something great in the song, but also in her rise to success. It is a joy that we live in an time where subtlety is valued in R&B, and may Jessie Ware have many more protegees to follow.

FOR FANS OF: Jessie Ware, Delilah, Snakehips