Wednesday Roundups #1: 11 Albums/EPs You Should Listen to In Your Spare Time
Let's take a deep dive into these albums that are under the radar.
Welcome back to Shatter the Standards!
This series you’re reading right now is Wednesday Roundups!
Wednesday Roundups is a series where we highlight albums under the radar that aren’t talked about or an album that we recommend you check out in your spare time.
It might be challenging to prioritize your music listening when so much new music is available. A weekly summary of noteworthy new releases on streaming platforms is provided by Shatter the Standards. Morris Day, Noah Guy, DRAM, Homeboy Sandman, Jay Worthy & DJ Muggs, AKAI SOLO, SABRI, DESTIN CONRAD, Naomi Lareine, Yuna, and QUADRY are among the artists with new albums or projects last week. Keep an eye out for weekly music drops every Wednesday for suggestions of lesser-known albums.
Here are your roundups for today!
Morris Day — Last Call (R&B/Soul) [Listen]
With the release of his last solo album, Last Call, legendary recording artist, and icon Morris Day has announced his impending retirement. The album has a who's who of hip hop and R&B with performances from Snoop Dogg, Flo Rida, E-40, Billy Gibbons, Trinidad James, Tech N9ne, and many more.
Noah Guy — WHO’S TAKEN TIME ?! (ACT 1) - EP [Pop, R&B/Soul] {Listen}
WHO'S TAKEN TIME ?! (ACT l) explores Noah Guy's thoughts on ending relationships, battling nihilism, and experiencing profound joy. The sentence "two genres at the same damn time" strikes me as a perfect summation of the niche in which Noah Guy's latest music resides. Even though our age developed it, the project has a timeless quality, circling in and out of the ring of gospel and soul.
DRAM — What Had Happened Was… (R&B/Soul) [Listen]
DRAM re-emerges on What Had Happened Was... under his former moniker and with refined tastes, reiterating his commitment to the smooth and sappy. He can switch seamlessly between a soft tenor and a sharp falsetto. Each track serves as a vague narrative about various incarnations of love, from one-night encounters and brushes with the One to breakups and makeups, affairs behind closed doors, and JumboTron-worthy proclamations.
Homeboy Sandman — Still Champion (Hip-Hop) [Listen]
A ten-song brilliant piece full of positivism, beautifully soulful music, and enough affirmations to move a mountain. Still Champion is the result of a 17-city tour by the renowned Homeboy Sandman and MC/producer Deca. The album marks a spiritual zenith for Sand (something he hasn't experienced since his 2010 album The Good Sun) and has a triumphant tone since he can now create from a place of joy again.
Jay Worthy & DJ Muggs — What They Hittin 4 (Hip-Hop) [Listen]
Jay Worthy and DJ Muggs align for their collaborative project, What They Hitting 4. We Don't Die Here, The Gentleman, In New York, Sweet Lies (Kiss the Sky), Bitch I Miss You, and more make up the project's twelve songs, which are preceded by the wistful 95. The ominous collaboration also features guest appearances from T.F, Duccky, and 211 in addition to MC Eiht.
AKAI SOLO — Spirit Roaming (Hip-Hop) [Listen]
The Spirit Roaming album marks AKAI SOLO's first collaboration with Backwoodz Studioz on a full-length project. His new album, which expands on the content and existential concerns of his Body Feeling EP, has just been released. The personal and satirical self-awareness that helps define AKAI as an artist is here, along with his distinctive delivery and rhythm, but on a bigger canvas.
SABRI — Actually, I Can. (R&B/Soul) [Listen]
SABRI released her new project executive produced by Paperboy Fabe, Actually, I Can. She stated on Instagram that "Actually, I Can. is about the phase I’m in being in my thirties. The days of insecurities and hardships are over. I grew as a woman and now it’s time to f**king shine and live the life I deserve. Actually, I Can. symbolizes independence, growth, confidence and self-love.”
DESTIN CONRAD — SATIN (R&B/Soul) [Listen]
Destin Conrad is back with a new EP, SATIN, a year after releasing his first, COLORWAY. The album has nine songs, including the singles Unpredictable with Kiana Ledé and Day Party. The latter included vocal contributions by Ambré and was co-produced by him and Louie Lastic.
Naomi Lareine — Girl Next Door - EP (R&B/Soul) [Listen]
The title of R&B artist Naomi Lareine's latest EP, Girl Next Door, is not coincidental. An interview with "20 minutes" indicates that the artist, originally from Zurich, has dedicated her new mini album to her close friend Gina. The couple had been next-door neighbors for four and a half years before they finally started dating. Lareine shared a handful of songs she'd written on her romantic experiences with her partner.
Yuna — Y5 (Pop, R&B/Soul) [Listen]
Since Yuna has just re-entered the indie scene, this album is her most engaging and diverse yet. The penultimate EP of her trilogy, Y5, comprises two songs and an interlude that have never been heard before.
QUADRY — It Was Once My World - EP (Hip-Hop) [Listen]
Baton Rouge rapper QUADRY, now 27 years old, has been perfecting his talent since he was a child. Originally from the Czech Republic, New York City-based photographer, Marie Tomanova published a photo book called It Was Once My Universe in which she exposed her innermost thoughts and feelings via a series of intimate portraits, which inspired this EP. QUADRY hopes to have the same effect with his work by making more people feel safe enough to express themselves musically.