Nana Yamato - Fantasy
In Nana Yamato’s debut album, Before Sunrise, there’s a distinct feeling of late-night brooding and lonely streets—likely because the album was conceived in late-night sessions as Yamato escaped the day’s frustrations of an adult living and studying alone in Tokyo. The song “Fantasy” is no exception as it delves into the imagination of the 20-year-old law student, taking the listener on an intimate foray into Yamato’s own experience with otherness and self-discovery. Growing up feeling as though she didn’t fit the normal idea of a young girl in Japan, Yamato uses her creative ability to highlight the search for an escape. Throughout the song, she utilizes both English and Japanese lyrics paired with sonic progressions to grab your attention and make you feel the emotions and angst that inspired her into music. With daydream-like movement and sharp chords, the song keeps you caught in a trance, bobbing along to the beat and thinking of your own fantasies and dreams rather than whatever reality you may be avoiding. Photo by Nana Yamato.
— Monica Hand on February 11, 2021
Henry Jamison - The Wilds
Henry Jamison is a storyteller at heart. It may be in his blood — his father, a classical composer, and his mother, an English professor — but Jamison is a writer and artist in his own right, evidenced by his debut album The Wilds (released October 27th). Beyond writing, recording and arranging the album all on his own, Jamison has a special ability to bring each track to life. Take his song, “The Wilds”: it’s instrumentally rich without being overbearing, letting Jamison’s narrative whisk you away. “The Wilds” sounds like an old-time American love story - unassuming and familiar, but nevertheless, still surprising.
— Natasha Cucullo on January 7, 2018
Moses Sumney - Plastic
Los Angeles genre-bending artist Moses Sumney released his gorgeous and ethereal debut album Aromanticism into the world this September. Sumney has made a big impression on artists like Solange and Sufjan Stevens for good reason. His infusion of soul and folk come together on this album in a way that leaves us begging for more. A prime example of this heavenly blend is found on the third song of the album, “Plastic.” A previous version of the song can be heard on the first season of Issa Rae’s HBO series, Insecure. This new version serves as one of the more simplistic songs on the album, featuring just a fingerpicked electric guitar, a synth and Sumney’s captivating voice. The hook of the song repeats the line “my wings are made of plastic,” each time sung in a slightly different way than it was before, continuing to imbue the phrase with new meaning. This song of vulnerability, self-awareness and secret-spilling is the kind that you can leave on repeat and get lost in for hours.
— Dara Bankole on October 22, 2017
