Wednesday Roundups #11: 10 Albums/EPs You Should Listen to In Your Spare Time

Stream and purchase Jai'Len Josey, Eloise, Terry Walker, and many others.

Welcome back to Shatter the Standards!

The eleventh outing of Wednesday Roundups returns.

It might be challenging to prioritize your music listening when so much new music is available. Shatter the Standards provide a weekly summary of newsworthy releases on streaming platforms. El Michels Affair & Black Thought, Jai’Len Josey, Grafh & 38 Spesh, ENNY, Jordan Hawkins, Jean Deaux, Mike Shabb & Nicholas Craven, Terri Walker, Eloise, and Dinner Party were among the artists with new albums or projects last week. Watch for weekly music drops every Wednesday for suggestions of lesser-known albums.

Here are your roundups for today!

El Michels Affair & Black Thought — Glorious Game (Hip-Hop) [Listen]

Black Thought and El Michels Affair's long-awaited joint album, Glorious Game, has finally been released. With a track count set at 12, the famous Philly MC, Leon Michels, and his New York-based cinematic soul production company express their gratitude on the hypnotic and lead single, Grateful. The Roots vocalist bares his soul on That Girl and contributes renowned bars to the title tune Glorious Game featuring KIRBY.

Jai’Len Josey — Southern Delicacy (R&B) [Listen]

Southern Delicacy is Jai'Len Josey's Def Jam debut, however, she has been working as a songwriter and vocalist for quite some time. It's a soulful, religious, and heartfelt album with a distinctive sound that can only come from the South. The tunes are also top-notch.

Grafh & 38 Spesh — Art of Words (Hip-Hop) [Listen]

On his latest album, Art of Words, produced by 38 Spesh, Grafh puts his pen to good use. The 10-song project was released by the Queens rapper and the Rochester producer with the lead single Maggie Simpson featuring Giggs. The other two tracks feature collaborations with Rome Streetz on Finesse and Dave East in Harlem on Every Day. Additional tunes include Conway the Machine featuring Rain Falls, as well as Life Is Beautiful, Dirty Work, and 36 Chambers.

ENNY — We Go Again - EP (Hip-Hop) [Listen]

We Go Again, the latest EP by South London rapper/singer ENNY, is available now on Jorja Smith's FAMM label. This brand-new six-track compilation, often referred to as a "care package," was developed by the artist over the previous six months. It features production from Emil, Yogic, Baker Aaron, Beat Butcha, Linden Jay, long-time collaborator Paya, and a unique guest appearance from Loyle Carner.

Jordan Hawkins — 4Play (R&B) [Listen]

The debut extended play (4Play) by up-and-coming singer, songwriter, and musician Jordan Hawkins is now available. In July 2022, Hawkins released Super Power as the lead single of his second solo EP. After performing it for COLORS later that year, he released an acoustic rendition. In 2022, two other singles were released: Play and Screamin', featuring the up-and-coming R&B singer Reggie Becton.

Jean Deaux — HEAVY (Hip-Hop/Pop/R&B) [Listen]

Jean Deaux's music incorporates various styles, including R&B, rap, pop, house, and indie, reflecting her Black queer woman and local Chicagoan perspective. Jean Deaux has been called a "modern renaissance woman" and "multi-hyphenate" for her work in various fields. Her tremendous development as a musician and voice is fully displayed in her new EP, HEAVY.

Mike Shabb & Nicholas Craven — Shadow Moses - EP (Hip-Hop) [Listen]

This is Mike Shabb's fourth extended play as a Montreal producer, engineer, and rapper. Mike has brought in his mentor and one of the most prolific beatsmiths the underground has seen recently, Nicholas Craven, to produce Shadow Moses from top to bottom. Before gaining notoriety for engineering Boldy James' fifth album Fair Exchange No Robbery, Mike had made his presence known by releasing his last three EPs and a couple of mixtapes.

Terri Walker — MY LOVE STORY (R&B) [Listen]

Terri Walker's latest album, MY LOVE STORY, coincides with the 20th anniversary of her critically praised album Untitled, released in 2003. The seven-song album featured Terri's distinctive combination of Soul and R&B and was produced by Konny Kon and Tyler Daley, better known as Children of Zeus, who also co-wrote the record with Walker and Drs. Terri's evolution as a musician over the past two decades is on full display on her latest studio album, My Love Story, which follows the singles Finally Over You and I'm Not the One.

Eloise — Drunk On a Flight (Pop/R&B) [Listen]

Eloise's Drunk On a Flight, a fusion of jazz, R&B, and pop, is a narrative journey through loss and acceptance, peppered with moments of piercing honesty. Eloise's debut album has the same emotional and musical maturity as her previous work, moving fluidly between forgiving and resenting, being infatuated and denying. This is accomplished with a more robust arrangement that gives Eloise's silky voice more room to shine.

Dinner Party — Enigmatic Society (R&B) [Listen]

Enigmatic Society is another chill and soulful EP from Dinner Party. The project has guest performances from Ant Clemons and Arin Ray, who help steer it toward the R&B genre, and the production is excellent.