ROUGH Best Music Of The Week #72



Bayou – ‘Alone’

Since the release of his debut single ‘Moonlight’ last year, Egyptian-born but Dubai-based artist Bayou has garnered a rich reputation for blending RnB groves with distinctly Arabian melodies to create a sound all of his own, and now looks to continue that aesthetic on his latest offering ‘Alone’. Using little more than an acoustic guitar and pulsing percussion, the artist delivers a wonderfully vibrant gem that oozes sensuality and atmosphere.

With a sound that many have compared to the likes of The National and Sharon Van Etten, Scott Grady-led project The Mercy Stone look to seduce us once again with their latest wistful groove ‘Pale Moon’. Bringing together bold and pounding percussion with soft and sweeping vocals, this new delight showcases them as one of the most engaging and captivating outfits working today.

Following on from the release of her highly praised single ‘Do You Feel Me’ from earlier this year, Hastings-based singer and songwriter Alice Rowe now looks to sweep us off our feet once again with her new release ‘Flex On You’. Mixing together rich and atmospheric RnB tones with her own silky vocals, her newest jam captures that same soul-enriched direction that has proven a runaway success for the likes of Jorja Smith and Mahalia.

With a rich and diverse range of influencers that include Prince, Cameo and The Weeknd, singer, songwriter and producer Rex Evans now returns with his latest slice of pulsing RnB with ‘Changes’. Much like his recent material, ‘Changes’ looks to bridge the gap between supple RnB flavours and blistering production to deliver a warm yet groove-filled release.

Following up the release of their acclaimed single ‘Hush’ from earlier this year, Brighton-based duo TYDL now return with their second new release of the year so far, ‘Skeleton’. Taking the warm and atmospheric aesthetic from the RnB sound and blending it with a dark-pop sensibility gives this new cut a whole new and fascinating direction, leading many to compare them to the likes of Sigrid and London Grammar.