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listens
Ashley Koett takes a leap, Toni Bean's single and a new Monte Booker beat
CHRISTIAN HARDY
@ByHardy
This has been a semester with new Kanye West, Beyoncé, Rihanna and Kendrick Lamar albums four of the biggest music powerhouses in the United States right now.
Still, though, the lowkey music scene is alive and well. With spring in full swing, I've found myself listening to a lot of guitar and acoustic-driven tracks, but I found a good mix to include in the Lowkey Listens for May, from a jazz hit from Ashley Koett, to a bouncy hip-hop joint produced by Monte Booker.
It's all here.
Selfish (feat. Rodney Tenor) - Ashley Koett
I've always loved Ashley Koett; her voice, instrumentation and melodies have culminated to make some beautiful tracks early in her career. But here, with a verse from Brockhampton comrade Rodney Tenor and some production from Texas producer Reverse,
she takes a huge leap. For most of the song, especially the first verse, you can feel Koett's voice grooving and riding along with the jazzy instrumental. The transition to a smooth, dense verse from Tenor is executed well both instrumentally and vocally before Koett
finishes the track with more dazzling vocals. It's no surprise that Koett has continued to grow as an artist over the last few months, but the impeccable execution on this track shows that she has made more significant progress than I had even imagined.
2
16 - Toni Bean
I first learned of Toni, a rapper from Lexington, Ky., on some early Jakob Green tracks which are now defunct. And on those tracks, Toni stood out with his slick flow and confident bars.
Now, with his first solo effort, nothing is much different. Toni comes through with strong verses over a wispy, elusive beat from Nemesis Beats. Now, this track isn't perfect — it lacks
a strong hook presence, or much beyond what's on the surface, as far as lyrics go but it shows what Toni can do. He's got plenty of room, and time, to grow. This is the start.
WE DONT WANT UR LOVE — Dominic
3
Dominic uses a ton of autotune and voice distortion on this airy, atmospheric track, but it works quite well on what he calls an interlude. The production, especially in the first half, feels a bit lo-fi, which adds a bit to the songs distorted aesthetic. The beat changes over the last minute or so of the track,
which is what warrants the "interlude" name, as Dominic slows down the beat dramatically to get an even more space feel.
4
Switzerland - Soccer Mommy
It tend to gravitate toward bedroom-recorded tracks when it comes to acoustic songs on SoundCloud, just because they feel raw and embedded with real emotion. That's the reason this
track from Soccer Mommy just gripped me. She strings a single beautiful guitar melody through most of the song under somber vocals and the occasional simple kick drum. With those vocals, Soccer Mommy talks about the importance of a single person and that person growing up alongside her; it's a warm, simple sentiment.
Menu - Smino
5
I can't get enough of Monte Booker's light-hearted, energetic production. It steals the show on this Smino track like it has on so many tracks I've written about. Now, that's not to undermine Smino, a
St. Louis rapper who has been gaining some traction on SoundCloud; he mixes his raps with the perfect amount of R&B to fit just perfectly on this Booker beat. But Booker executes the ups and downs incredibly well, and the digital-like soundscape pairs perfectly with Smino's playful lyricism. It's good to see Booker continuing to gain some credits — he certainly has captivated my attention.
Edited by Sarah Kruger
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