Single Reviews

Jahmiel: We Alone Single Review by Mr Topple for Pauzeradio.com. What happens when you put one of the busiest and most-talented artists around, and one of the most exciting producers going, on the same track? Perfection, obviously. Jahmiel We Alone, released via Tru Ambassador Entertainment, sees Jahmiel team up with Week.Day on a glossy, slick yet unpretentious Afrobeats-RnB cut. As a producer, Week.Day’s skill at engineering a cleverly intricate song is no longer in question (his earlier work this year with Julian Marley and Kumar to name two, other sterling examples). So, what about the composition? Top-class, of course. The

Omari Banks: Like a King Single Review by Mr Topple for Pauzeradio.com. One of the kings of Reggae-Soul (with Blues and Calypso in the mix as well), Omari Banks is no stranger to musical legend; his dad being the colossus Bankie Banx. But like father, like son – Banks has entered iconic territory himself. And his latest track shows why. Omari Banks Like a King, released via ONErpm, sees Banks on scorching form. With much of the composer, lyricist and producer duties being fulfilled by himself, that alone is a measure of the man’s talents. But the end result is

Cali P: Hit Like Gunshot Single Review by Mr Topple for Pauzeradio.com. Cali P is the master of hard-hitting, searingly conscious yet modern and accessible music. His EPs with producer Teka (Vizion I and II) were both works of art. Now, in response to the murder of George Floyd, the two visionaries are back – and the result is succinct and furious. Cali P Hit Like Gunshot, released by LowLow Records, is an evocative track; lyrics written by Cali P while in coronavirus lockdown in Gambia. Teka’s production is as to be expected: detailed, infinitely well-balanced and with streaks of

Kabaka Pyramid: Babylon Fallin Single Review by Mr Topple for Pauzeradio.com. With almost perfect timing, artistic icon Kabaka Pyramid is back with a new track. And its message is wholly apt, as the world around us slowly burns – both physically and metaphorically. Kabaka Pyramid Babylon Fallin, released via One Time Music and Bebble Rock Music, is a tour de force of musicality and lyricism. Production from Island Wav is stellar – combining both tried-and-tested compositional devices with delicate yet pointed inventiveness. The slick engineering and mastering finishes off the package. And overall, the track is a top-class, haunting 21st

Ray Isaacs: Stranger In Town Single Review by Mr Topple for Pauzeradio.com. Hot-on-the-heels of his recent Roots/Funky Soul cut Chemical Warfare, and Ray Isaacs is back with another fresh track. But the song itself isn’t new – as he’s released it as a tribute to his late and legendary uncle Gregory to coincide with what would have been his 70th birthday. Ray Isaacs Stranger In Town, released via Road Blokk Records, sees Isaacs interpret the track from Gregory’s seminal 1982 album Night Nurse. While the fundamental compositional elements of the music haven’t changed, Road Blokk have played with the instrumentation,

Sevana: If You Only Knew Single Review by Mr Topple for Pauzeradio.com. Hot-on-the-heels of label mate Lila Iké’s debut EP, The ExPerience, Sevana is back with her first new cut of 2020. And if the track is anything to go by, it may well be a seminal year for Protoje and Co. Sevana If You Only Knew, released via In.Digg.Nation Collective and RCA Records/Sony Music Entertainment, sees the ‘Siren’ team up with Kelsey González of Free Nationals and Oje Ollivierre. It is an exceptionally classy affair: stripped back yet intricate, the fine attention to detail elevating this way beyond standard

Sugar Minott: Holding On Single Review by Mr Topple for Pauzeradio.com. Just days before the 10-year-anniversary of legendary Sugar Minott’s passing, the world is being treated to a brand-new, never-before released track. And it serves as a pertinent reminder of the great man’s talents. Sugar Minott Holding On, released via DPhil Productions, is a glorious Lover’s Rock affair, doused in the signature style Minott was so well-known and loved for. The arrangement has been beautifully done, and the production and engineering are top-class – with particular note to dB levels and filtering to give a classic, timeless feel to proceedings.

Treesha: Angel of Mine Single Review – Steve Topple for Pauzeradio.com. Treesha is, by anyone’s standards, one of the most exciting female artists in the Roots-led movement. And she’s back, with her first new track of the year. But it’s also a 2020 first for the label that produced it. Treesha Angel of Mine, released via Twende Records and BuffBaff Records (the team who are also Gentleman’s band), sees Treesha take on a track first made famous by UK Pop-RnB group Eternal, and later US Soul singer Monica. Production from BuffBaff’s Giuseppe “Josi” Coppola is first-rate – and the creation

John GQ x Indie Allen: Revelation Single Review – Steve Topple for Pauzeradio.com. Indie Allen is a force to be reckoned with. Having been steadily building upon the success of his debut mixtape, Indie Me Name, the sensational talent is back – with a little help from super-producer Floyd “John GQ” Barrett. Indie Allen Revelation, released via Fams House Music, is an unsettling and ultimately pertinent track. Orchestral and cinematic in its construction, John GQ has managed quite a feat: taking elements of Funky Soul and Roots, creating a track worthy of a film score but one that would also

Ray Isaacs: Chemical Warfare Single Review – Steve Topple for Pauzeradio.com. It can’t be easy treading in the footsteps of a relative who was a giant among Roots artists. But Ray Isaacs, the nephew of Gregory, has thoroughly risen to the challenge – as his latest track shows. Ray Isaacs Chemical Warfare, released via Anotha One Productions, is a slickly-executed, old skool Reggae cut but with elements of Funky Soul interspersed extremely well. As is clearly becoming the case, Anotha One is a production force to be reckoned with – as the composition, arrangement and engineering are all first-rate. The