Jordan takes listeners from smooth ballads to big, bouncing beats
On her first release since 2014's acclaimed 1021, Toronto-based artist Rochelle Jordan ups the ante even further, blending in everything from slick contemporary soul-hop to U.K. garage, vintage drum and bass and even straight-ahead R&B.
Working with longtime collaborator KLSH as well as Machinedrum as producers, the 12-track record is a showcase of the depth of this artist's talent.
It is also a celebration of a singer at home in any number of R&B sub-genres and styles. That kind of skill is what you gain from years of touring with everyone from Childish Gambino and Jesse Ware to working alongside Erykah Badu, Chance The Rapper and Spice Girl Mel B. in the Adult Swim show Black Dynamite.
Here are five things to know about Play With The Changes.
1 Love You Good.
The opening tune is a killer. With its skittering rhythms, elastic bass and layered breathy vocals, this song would have sounded right at home on a classic Goldie or LTJ Bukem album back in the '90s. It's the kind of sound that conjures up the best hang table at the back of a cavernous club that is going off big time.
2 All Along.
As soon as the hopback beat kicked in on this single, the urge to bust out the old Aaliyah albums and other vintage releases was strong. If attempting some of those shoulder-dislocating dance moves from a New Edition video didn't quite go as smoothly as hoped, it didn't take away from the joyous bounce of the song.
3 Count It.
Atmospheric and moody, this is the slowest track of the set and makes something of a midpoint break in the more upbeat vibe of the album. It really showcases how fast Jordan can sing-flow her lyrics that defiantly challenge a partner that might leave, but won't leave her lonely.
4 Lay.
With a bit of a bossa nova type feel, this ballad slinks its way around some warped synth passages while staying pretty true to a classic love declaration.
5 Dancing Elephants.
The longest tune on the album at over five minutes, it takes its time to pickup the pulse, but when it takes off at around the 60-second mark, it marks one hip-shaking shift after another. This one is just waiting for an extended disco mix.
BORN RUFFIANS
Pulp | Wavy Haze Records Genre: Indie pop
Key track: Checkin' Out
The culmination of the band's trilogy which includes Juice and Squeeze, Pulp is seven “leftovers” that hadn't yet found their place on a record. And, like both of its predecessors, there isn't really a weak track to be found in the seven songs. While most of the material is fast and angular, an occasional strum-along such as Heat Wave is dropped into the mix to remind everyone of the group's ability to morph into a classic rock band.
CURTIS ANDREWS Speaking Hands | Curtis andrews. band camp
Genre: Global jazz/groove
Key track: Tight Rope, Short Walk Vancouver-based drummer/percussionist Andrews holds a doctorate in ethnomusicology from UBC. He puts the knowledge gained from his studies to work crafting the elaborate cross-cultural fusion that fills his sophomore release. He credits “vodu-derived traditional music of West Africa, the micro and macrocosmic play of time and pitch found in Carnatic traditions of South India, the open field of improvisation, and the intersection of all of these as one cohesive and original sound,” and the results are ones that keep giving. Backed by a big band of local aces from guitarist Jared Burrows to saxophonist and bansuri player Neelamjit Dhillon to the in utero heartbeat of Shantaleela Rao Andrews, it's a fantastic album.
DAVID SYMONS Which Way Is Up | Davissymonsmusic.com
Genre: Blues rock
Key track: We Gotta Try (feat. the Symons Sisters)
Vancouver singer Symons is 61 years young on this lively eightsong set. From the title track's funky, organ-driven rocker with its classic Stax-style sax solo to the Grateful Dead-esque laid back feel of Best I Can Be, his writing is familiar to fans of California rock of the mid-'70s. There's nothing wrong with that when you are dropping slow jams as solid as We Gotta Try.
TUNIC
Exhaling | Artoffact Records
Genre: Hardcore
Key track: Hesitant Gesture This Winnipeg trio positively rages from start to finish of this very deliciously loud recording. The competition between bassist Rory Ellis and drummer Dan Unger's chaotic pounding and singer/ guitarist David Schellenberg howling and thrashing to get above it all makes songs such as Hesitant Gesture sound like recorded pain. Perfect for a pandemic mosh pit of one played out in a padded room.