Sam Prekop, вЂњThe RepublicвЂќ (Thrill Jockey). Madley Croft adds her half-talked moan to the anthemic вЂњSeesawвЂќ and the thumpy, inspirational ballad вЂњLoud Places.вЂќ Hot Atlanta rapper Young Thug adds more depth to his increasingly surprising discography with вЂњI Know ThereвЂ™s Gonna Be (Good Times).вЂќ Those biding their time until the new xx album will be relieved to know that members Oliver Sim and Romy Madley Croft appear on вЂњIn Colour.вЂќ The Sim-sung вЂњStranger in a Room,вЂќ combines his sexy, whispered baritone with a sparse beat that gradually builds in complexity.

From opening вЂњGoshвЂќ through the utterly odd closing ballad, вЂњGirl,вЂќ a bass-heavy jam that evolves into its own dub version, Jamie xx proves adept at exploring the intersection of hip hop, Jamaican dub music, strange New York post-disco, British grime music and gritty new-era rhythm and blues. His solo work is becoming deep and aggressive, though, dense with drive, heavy beat and increasingly sophisticated rhythms.

Born Jamie Smith, the 26-year-old artist rose as part of the xx, a minimalist British electronic pop group that draws equal inspiration from contemporary American R&B and British beat music. ItвЂ™s not easy, distinguishing oneself as a beat producer in a world in which any kid with an iPad, headphones and a funny moniker can make music as sonically sophisticated as the вЂњprofessionals.вЂќ Jamie xxвЂ™s tracks leap out, stake their claim, consume mesmerizing rhythmic spaces. Jamie XX, вЂњIn ColourвЂќ (Young Turks/XL Recordings). The first single, вЂњEveryday,вЂќ stars not only Rocky but also crooner Rod Stewart, fellow Brit Mark Ronson and San Pedro-born breakout singer Miguel. ItвЂ™s in the DNA of вЂњJukebox Joints,вЂќ a collaboration among Rocky, Kanye West and Joe Fox.ДЄmid the wobbly, pitch-bending backing track on вЂњBetter Things,вЂќ Rocky layers his voice, octaves piled like Dalian dreamscapes, while he explores addiction, gluttony and loss. ItвЂ™s in the weird ode to acid, вЂњL$D,вЂќ which details tripped-out trysts amid a syrupy beat. Raw, woozy, profoundly psychedelic and often brilliant, RockyвЂ™s second studio album is awash with hallucinogenic texture. YamsвЂ™ memory permeates the record, even if Rocky doesnвЂ™t seem to have fully absorbed the lessons of his friendвЂ™s demise. Grief because of the January overdose death of ASAP Yams, who co-founded the influential ASAP Mob and was its primary aesthetician heavy drug experimentation despite said overdose. вЂќ showcases a preternaturally skilled New York rapper exploring the edges of grief, drug use, fame and temptation. One of the most anticipated hip-hop albums of the year, вЂњAt Long Last. ASAP Rocky, вЂњAt Long Last ASAP RockyвЂќ (RCA).

At long last asap original cover