The Dream - IV Play

The Dream wears his R.Kelly influence loud and proud on this one. That is
R. Kelly, before he became your favorite thugged out nursery rhyme spewing
perv uncle. More like old school something for the jeeps R&B R.Kelly.
Well it's about time someone gave us some shit that sounds like this.

This thing reeks of the 90s. The bassline is reminiscent of the West Coast
G-Funk Dr. Dre and tha Dogg Pound popularized. When the bridge soars just
before the hook, you're half expecting Dru Hill to pop out and
sing back up for him.

Another genius element of the song is its structure. After the verse, the
bridge soars building up the tension and anticipation, layering his voice
on itself till a drum fill cuts through it and it falls back into the calm and
composure of the chorus.
A great inversion of the traditional expectations of song structure.

When the guitar solo rears its head (in a nod to Prince),
it's time you started reaching for that cigarette.

While the Dream has no time for foreplay, you might want to make
time for his upcoming album 'IV Play' (this being the second single)
out May 28th via Def Jam.

Twigs - EP (Stream)

The Weeknd presented the world with a mysterious male R&B lothario. 

But girls wanna have fun too (very necessary Cyndi Lauper reference, not?). 

Enter Twigs coming out of the UK.

But they only share an aura of mystery. Twigs is not as depraved -  more of a seductive

strange bird cooing in the night. There's a hint of something askew but its not clear what.

Yet that is the source of the allure.

Much like the previously released sleeper hit 'Ache', the EP's instrumentation is heavy on mood, 

full of ambient touches, frequently erring on the side of minimalism.

Aching for some more music from this one.