JAH LIL, CAN A MAN CRY

“For centuries men have been hiding their true feelings. We were never provided that safe space. It’s reflecting in society.” Jah Lil.

 

Born and raised in the Jamaican downtown Kingston ghetto, Jah Lil grew up in a very violent community. But he grew up around good people and it gave his family the necessary tools to survive those hard times. One of those tools was music. Especially gospel music which would lead him as a teenager to a government sponsored gospel song competition which he won with the song ‘Weeping Men.’

On his debut album, Can A Man Cry, Lil strives to create that safe space where men can express themselves by sharing his own life stories and emotions while conveying messages of love, inspiration, and encouragement. Set against a musical backdrop of relaxing Reggae grooves, Can A Man Cry is one of the standout albums this year.

ON ROTATION

Lots of great music. Not enough time to write about it all...but here's what's on rotation for me right now. 

The Loving Paupers, Ladder

Cleo Sol, Heaven 

TERRI WALKER, MY LOVE STORY

Terri Walker may not be familiar to many here in the states, but she's been gracing the folks in Britain for twenty years now with her impeccable fusion of R&B, jazz, funk, soul, and a bit of reggae. On her Latest LP, MY Love Story, Walker takes a few steps back from the boundary pushing that she's done with these various musical genres over her last few albums. Of the album, Walker has said that it's one she made for herself. It's an album where she didn't worry that it didn't meet her or other people's expectations.

I certainly had no expectations as I sat down to listen to My Love Story. So it was a pleasant surprise for the album to hit such a great groove right from the beginning with Finally Over You. With only seven songs clocking in at just 23 minutes, I will say that this album does feel brief and one of unfinished business. But I walked away with a new appreciation for Walker and her music and definitely wanting more. 

Lila Iké, The ExPerience

From the moment I heard Lila Iké, I was hooked. Blending Reggae, R&B, and Hip Hop, Iké shines on her debut EP. As Respect Magazine wrote, "she breathes a delicate testimony of love, infatuation, and spiritual guidance which....gets under the skin, treading blissful and melancholy moods that are true to life's peaks and valleys." It all makes for one of the best albums that I have heard so far this year. 

TOP ALBUMS OF 2018

Unexpected....Sandro Perri releasing an ambient pop album with four songs; one 24 minutes followed by three versions of the same song that all combine to create what Pitchfork best describes as a masterful, dreamlike world. 

Unexpected....Twenty One Pilots, a band that I have never taken seriously, putting out my favorite of the year. Trench was the album that I had been waiting for all year, but didn't know it.

Unexpected....A Perfect Circle...back after 14 years with an album as bold as ever. As All Music wrote, "the band balances brute force with softer moments that may surprise, yet digging deeper reveals a wealth of poetic lyricism and social commentary."

Unexpected....Nils Frahm's All Melody. An ambient, electro album that I still cannot quite categorize after many listens. It's a creation that as NPR put it, will still sound vital 10 years from now.

Unexpected....Boy George and Culture Club. Feeling, flair, and fun...35 years after the release of Colour By Numbers.

Unexpected....every album on my favorites list....except Chromeo. Their Head Over Heals was exactly what I expected, wanted, and needed this year. Thank you very much!

1. Sandro Perri, In Another Life 

   

2. Hippo Campus, Bambi

   

3. The Pineapple Thief, Dissolution

4. Lo Moon, Lo Moon

   

5. Twenty One Pilots, Trench 

   

6. Nils Frahm, All Melody

   

7. Tunng, Songs You Make at Night

   

8. Gaz Coombes, World's Strongest Man

   

9. Villagers, The Art of Pretending to Swim 

   

10. Foxwarren, Foxwarren 

   

11. Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness, Upside Down Flowers 

   

12. Boy George, Culture Club, Life 

   

13. Ziggy Marley, Rebellion Rises

14. A Perfect Circle, Eat The Elephant 

   

15. Death Cab For Cutie, Thank You For Today 

   

16. Chromeo, Head Over Heals 

   

17. Rainbow Kitten Surprise, How To: Friend, Love, Freefall

   

18. Shame, Songs of Praise 

   

19. Young Fathers, Cocoa Sugar

   

20. Burna Boy, Outside