Syd, Sampha & Sean
Three new albums from Syd, Sampha and Big Sean dropped today.
Fin – Syd
I’m going to start us off with Syd’s debut solo album Fin because it was the one I was anticipating most. Thankfully, I wasn’t disappointed.
Syd, aka Syd Tha Kyd, is actually the vocalist for a neo-soul band called The Internet. The group has received quite a bit of acclaim over the years and their third album ‘Ego Death’ was even nominated for “Best Urban Contemporary Album” at the 2016 Grammy’s. So why would Syd decide to put out a solo album? Well, according to an interview with The Fader she views this album as “an in-between thing” or way to have a few other songs to perform. She further explained that this is the type of sound she wants The Internet to have eventually. If that’s the case, then I’m all for it.
After a few initial listens, “Know,” “Nothin to Somethin” and “Body” are my favorites. My only complaint with the album overall is that its cut too short. Listen to Fin on Spotify here.
If you’re interested in checking out The Internet in its entirety, then I recommend checking out their NPR Tiny Desk Concert.
Process – Sampha
Sampha might not be a name you’re initially familiar with yet, but he’s been featured on songs by a number of big names including Drake, Kanye West, Frank Ocean and Solange. A follow-up to his 2013 EP Dual, Sampha’s debut album Process is as beautiful as it touching. A perfect example of this is the song “(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano” – also my personal favorite. The song pulls at the heartstrings as he describes the piano in his mother’s home that acted as a haven while he cared for her during her battle with cancer.
You definitely need to be in a certain mood when listening to Process, but I still recommend doing so. I’m sure his upcoming performance at Coachella will draw crowds and headlines, so why not listen to it beforehand? You can do so here on Spotify.
I Decided. – Big Sean
Last of the three albums is Big Sean’s I Decided. To be honest, I’m not really a huge Big Sean fan but figured I should give it a listen anyway. I’ll continue being honest and also say that I was actually pleasantly surprised. It might be because I wasn’t expecting very much, but there were a few songs such as “Sunday Morning Jetpack,” “Inspire Me and Bigger Than Me” that caught my ear. While I don’t see myself listening to this one over and over, I’ll definitely be bumping a few of its singles.