The sun is out (a bit) and Can You Hear This has been bombarding you with reasons to get drunk and dance in the sun so it seems about time for some capital-F funk from the man with a bass, Thundercat

One of the main exponents of Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder label, Stephen Bruner, aka Thundercat, is a master of all things bass, funky and soulful. His debut album ‘The Golden Age of Apocalypse’ saw him delve into his geeky love of trashy 80s animation and synth-led fusion, culminating in an excellent record that brought the sounds of fusion into a bit more of a palatable package.

The second track to be released from his follow-up, ‘Oh Sheit It’s X’ is a muscular and euphoric quest of hedonistic disco proportions (in case you didn’t realise the song is about the wonders of a certain party drug). Just as Daft Punk have suddenly become ‘cool’ and Nile Rodgers is getting some of the acclaim he deserved in the 70s and 80s, Thundercat keeps rolling along producing good vibes and some excellent, excellent bass playing.

If you’ve never heard of Omar, then unfortunately you’d be among one of many that have most likely heard and enjoyed the music that he has inspired but overlooked the creator himself. Well, hopefully now is the time for you all to take note with the release of his first album in 7 years, ‘The Man’.

If you like soul music, or just any sort of R&B and hip-hop for that matter, then you should listen to Omar. Back in 1990 he spear-headed the neo-soul movement with his breakthrough track ‘There’s Nothing Like This’, inspiring artists such as Erykah Badu, D’Angelo, Maxwell and Jill Scott to put pen to paper. Over in the US he’s gained semi-cult status as a godfather of the soul revival, but typically back at home in England he’s remained largely unnoticed since his debut.

Luckily, then, lead single and title track from the new record ‘The Man’, is a perfect example of Omar’s talents, and with the current resurgence of disco and sexy R&B (see Daft Punk and Nile Rodgers and The Weeknd), it couldn’t have come at a better time. The track builds on a laid back vibrating bass line that trots along the hip-hop drums and Omar’s sensitive delivery, showing that there’s no need for thumping house synths or hashtags in soul or R&B (see Will.I.Am and Mariah Carey), just good songwriting and honed talent.

She is just dominating my iTunes playcount right now

I may be late to the party, but Laura Mvula is certainly all that she has been hyped to be. Green Garden has me belting out Soul hooks like there’s no tomorrow.

Laura has an amazing modesty about her. The former secretary tells of her near crippling stage fright, yet this apparently shy demeanour is shattered when she gets behind a mic and starts singing. Her voice is unreal, and I love the sincerity there seems to be in each note. Here on Green Garden she has me finger snapping even as I type (really hard to do.)

This song is helped by the fact that I absolutely adore the backing scales. There’s just something fun about the xylophone! Her voice cuts in from the very off and laces the track with an extra layer of class. She bounces off the music, and if anything her voice just rings out over it all. The beat is a real foot stamper, and as Laura invites me to go sit in the Green Garden with her, I can’t help but smile. Oh, and at about 1:55 when she says that she’ll “fly on the wings of a butterfly”, I am yet to listen without belting that out. Try it for yourself.

Fresh off the back of his debut album (slightly extended mixtape?) release, The Weeknd graced us Londoners with his presence in a series of four shows at Camden’s Electric Ballroom

It’s been almost two years since The Weeknd, aka Abel Testafye, released the first of his free mixtapes on his website and judging by the crowd that showed up on a Monday night to see him perform, he is a testament to the benefits of free music downloading. There were the usual groups of female admirers screaming the words over his falsetto, but more surprisingly there were also many men doing the same (myself included for ‘Crew Love’). All in all, before he even got onstage, you could tell no one was there just to casually check out what the fuss is about, it was much more a mix of excitement, cheap spirits (and some illicit substances).

I consider myself a pretty big fan of Testafye’s nocturnal, eerie R&B, but when listening to entire mixtapes or albums of his I’ve always been struck by the similarity of structure and sound in the tracks. His sound is so consistent that it can get a little boring at times. Luckily, though, this worked well in a live setting. The transitions between songs were seamless, keeping the energy of the show up without having to piss around with the crowd (apart from the usual left/right divide).

Most of the tracks were rockier than their recorded counterparts, throwing in guitar solos and heavy drum breaks, but again this was a wise move, getting the crowd to engage and move a little, rather than slump into a comatose state that the mixtapes can sometimes induce. Testafye himself navigated the stage like a pro, bouncing around whilst managing to hit most of his vocally challenging notes. The Weeknd is obviously on his way to becoming a very big name in the industry, remarking that these are to be some of his last ‘intimate’ shows in the country, with his next dates being arenas.

I really do hope he does return to the smaller venues though; tracks like ‘Montreal’ and ‘Outside’ work perfectly in drawing the whole crowd in to the amazing range of Abel’s voice and the subtlety of their production. Ultimately, after his 75 minute(ish) set I was satisfied and pleasantly surprised, Testafye’s found a great way to make his songs work in a live setting and his band backs him up perfectly, and most importantly the audience got what they wanted.

So, after over six years of acting and general non-musical activity, like a prodigal son JT’s finally returned with a new release, and it’s so worth the hype:

Obviously, anticipation is high for ‘The 20/20 Experience’ and when I first sat down to listen to lead single ‘Suit & Tie’ it was with some serious trepidation. ‘Suit & Tie’ exceeded expectations though (as you can read here: http://canyouhearthis.co.uk/2013/01/18/suit-tie-justin-timberlake-ft-jay-z/) and so when it came to the whole album I was on Futuresex/Lovesounds levels of excitement.

As a whole, ’20/20′ is somewhat of a stylistic departure for Justin. Gone is the emotional anguish of ‘Justified’ and the raw hip-hop funkiness of ‘Futuresex’; instead, the new record is a slick production, characterised by those suits and ties and the Tennessee Kids, Timberlake’s new orchestral backing band. The Tennessee Kids add a fuller sound to the record and detract from the machine-experimentation of the last. That’s not to say there aren’t any beat-laden, straight grooving tracks though, Timbaland is still on top form (and thank God after the travesty that was Shock Value 2) and more than ever you can hear his clear influence on the album.

The record opens with ‘Pusher Love Girl’, a strings-heavy track that showcases Timberlake’s pristine falsetto and a groove that’s tighter than (I couldn’t think of anything family-friendly). The record then segues into the aforementioned ‘Suit & Tie’ and the exotic tablas of ‘Don’t Hold The Wall’.

Next track, ‘Strawberry Bubblegum’ is an 8 minute two-parter, similar to the groove-transitions that were so memorable on ‘Futuresex/Lovesounds’.  It starts with a bubbling beat behind Timberlake’s silky vocals and some Isaac Hayes moans, and slowly builds into a sensual latin-groove round the 5 minute mark. It’s these kinds of decisions that sets Timberlake apart from the rest – rather than conform to a Will.i.am thumping dance beat or do a Trey Songz, he’s not afraid to showcase his musicianship in placing different genres and transitions into songs that are still full of hooks and make memorable pop.

Onto my favourite song of the record next, ‘Tunnelvision’. This one is a classic Timbaland production, layering on the drums and his inconsequential noises in the background. It’s just an uncompromisingly upbeat song that does exactly what it should, and efficiently.

The second half of the record moves into quieter territory with tracks like ‘That Girl’ and ‘Spaceship Coupe’, reminiscent of the Motown work of the 60s by groups such as The Temptations and The Four Tops. Final track ‘Blue Ocean Floor’ is another odyssey, and one that no one would have imagined Timberlake to have been making during his N’Sync days. It’s full of reversed piano and fragments of verse that just ebb and flow across its 7 minutes to provide a beautiful closing to a concise yet wonderfully varied album.

My only criticism of the album would be its lyrics. Don’t get me wrong, Timberlake knows how to write a great chorus and hook but the whole album is basically porn. Take for example ‘Strawberry Bubblegum’ which is definitely about the intriguing tastes of female genitalia (not to mention Justin’s own ‘blueberry lollipop’). But then again, he did just marry Jessica Biel so I’m guessing not much else is on his mind, and who really cares if the lyrics are a little raunchy? The whole musical arrangement of the record is still uncompromising and so brave in an industry increasingly full of mind-numbing copycats. Forget the acting, Timberlake’s definitely still got what it takes to turn heads in music and long may his reign continue.

Words cannot explain how excited I am that the purple soul/funk aural sex god that is Prince has retuned to our ears. No disrespect to Justin Timberlake, but this is how you get your comeback groove on:

Released (ingeniously) on National Pancake Day by the mysterious online entity known as 3rdEyeGirl, this new track harks back to the smooth production of ‘Sign O’ The Times’ whilst giving us listeners a glimpse into Prince’s morning workout routine and breakfast order, which mainly seems to consist of ‘grits and gravy’ and ‘cheese eggs and jam.’

I know he goes a bit chipmunk towards the end, but it’s Prince so we’ll allow it, and it’s more than made up for by the minimal groove and suspiciously D’Angelo bassline. Anyway, have a listen and reminisce about that time you sang along to the 9 minute version of ‘Purple Rain’ drunk and alone…

I didn’t watch the Superbowl because we’re based in England and … sleep. But I’ve caught up and sure, it was good. Did I wish we had heard more from B’Day? Maybe. Do I wish the reformed DC hadn’t sung a Beyonce track but one of the band’s original songs? Definitely maybe. But like, whatever. Here’s a remix of Party, courtesy of Majestic, from 4. And before her new album drops, please, please go listen to 4 over and over again. It’s such a delight to hear a pop star who is so assured and confident in her own sound.

Such a tenuous link between image and post.

Things are either just getting doubly repetitive, or doubly good (it’s the latter). College has started up again and it’s now as good a time as any to add to our previous selection of college songs. The previous bunch were a mix of very sincere tunes – so we’re lightening things up a bit here. These are our choice of the nine best songs to get your night started (and finished), college-style. Expect the party-pretentious, distorted pop and a lot of remixes.

One in a Million – Aaliyah (Urban Noize Remix):

This is the perfect tune to kick your night off (gently). It’ll make you forget your essay crises, and calm you down. Listen to this while you’re getting ready (which for me is the arduous process of spraying deodorant and brushing my teeth: party ready in four minutes). Also, Majestic Casudal is my spiritual homeland (only a mild joke).

Justin helpfully illustrating what a suit and tie is

It’s the prodigal return of Timbo and Trousersnake, and I’m a little over-excited to say the least. It’s been six years since his last release, ‘Futuresex/Lovesounds’ and many people thought he’d never get back to making music, but after letting us all know that he’s ‘ready’, the time has come to check out my thoughts and the new track below:

Now, I’ll be the first one to admit that Justin Timberlake is cheesy as hell and generally quite annoying, what with the whole Mickey Mouse Club/Britney/N’Sync background. But what can’t be denied is the fact that both of his solo albums have been very strong, bringing forth a flurry of hits like ‘Señorita’ (produced courtesy of Pharrell), ‘Cry Me A River’ (a classic Timbaland production, back when he weighed over 200lbs) and more recently ‘My Love’, one of the best tracks from ‘Futuresex’ and a lesson in how to make a great R&B record. So, it’s clear JT has a lot to live up to, and he knows it too; withdrawing from the music scene to pursue acting until he found the right moment and material to return.

So, thank god the comeback track is good. If it was bad then all the years of anticipation and speculation would have gone to waste and, quite frankly, much hope in life would have disappeared. But, as soon as I heard the first twenty seconds of the track with Timbaland’s tuned down vocals accompanying a slow acapella, I knew this was a return to Timberlake’s early-2000s heyday. Add to that the sudden thump of the funky bassline-driven groove at about forty seconds in and you have an infectious hit on your hands. Timbaland shows that he’s not all past it either (especially after the disappointment of Shock Value 2), playing around with the rhythms, keeping the funky beat going and then dropping back down to half-time for a filthy, sex-laden verse from Jay Z, stopping the track from becoming too one-dimensional.

All in all, ‘Suit & Tie’ a great return for Justin; an upbeat track that doesn’t take itself too seriously (I mean it can’t when the lyrics are something to do with the magical power of suits that make men irresistible to women). Anyway, enough talking, listen to it for yourself and hopefully the rest of the album will be just as good.

Don’t worry, he doesn’t have cataracts – the glasses are just for show

Now I know a lot of fuss has been made over Frank Ocean in the last year, and rightly so, but it’s meant that other equally talented R&B artists have been unfairly overlooked for their efforts. Miguel is one of these unfortunate souls, releasing his excellent second record ‘Kaleidoscope Dream’ towards the end of 2012 to positive reviews but not that much recognition, especially in Europe. Hopefully this will get him a few more fans:

Rather than review the whole album (because I’m feeling a little lazy, and most of the tracks speak for themselves in following the same vein) I thought I’d give you a little taster of what the whole record is about, through (in my opinion, it’s best track) the title release ‘Kaleidoscope Dream’.

After the poor sales of his first record ‘All I Want Is You’ because of the under-promotion of the now defunct Jive record label, I don’t think anyone expected Miguel to come up with a follow up that would be as unique or polished as ‘Kaleidoscope’. Being quite a (enormous) fan of the whole sultry R&B/Soul genre, the track ‘Kaleidoscope Dream’ is a perfect example of how to create a minimal masterpiece: all you need is a bassline (consisting of two notes), a solid groove and some falsetto Prince-esque vocals that talk about tasting women in ‘infinite colours’ and other such erotically charged hallucinogenic experiences. And that’s basically it, sounds simple but the result is a wonderfully sensual single that grooves along, drawing the listener in and leaving them wanting more.

In an era of every single producer putting thumping house synths and 4/4 bass beats on all of their tracks, it’s very encouraging and refreshing to hear an artist like Miguel proving that singer/songwriters still exist, and that they appreciate the craft of songwriting, trusting the power of their voices and musical arrangements to carry the track without the need for any gimmicks or an obligatory verse from Nicki Minaj. In fact the only big-name feature on the whole record is from Alicia Keys, and she only sings backing vocals.

This is how R&B music should be made, and how it always was made, so if you consider yourself a fan of the genre then you should definitely get the record – it’s not all slow jams, there’s a couple of groovers like ‘How Many Drinks’ and ‘Do You…’ (a close second for the best track on the record) and even a track called ‘Pussy Is Mine’. What more do you need?