New Finds (Week of 4/14)

Vulfmon and Evangeline (Indie Pop)

These are two separate artists I recently stumbled upon that don’t miss as a duo. Vulfmon’s satisfying, indie/light funk production style is perfect for Evangeline to sing on. “Got To Be Mine” is my favorite track from these two; the pleasant touches of the flute and sax amidst a steady bassline have me hooked on this song. On their two other tracks together, Evangeline speaks on “Letting Things Go” over a muffled organ, while capturing that feeling of hesitation (Do I really love them or am I just horny?) on “It Might Have To Be You”.

Since hearing these, I have discovered other Vulfmon bops, such as “Tokyo Night”, “Little Thunder”, and instrumental tracks “Rutgers” / “Ucla”. None of these are better than “Hit the Target - Vulfmix”, however, which is unlike anything I’ve heard before. Vulfmon’s production talent on this track is evident. An indistinguishable mesh of instruments and humming vocals combine to create a groove that is tight but loose, polished yet full of character.

MRCY (Modern Soul/R&B)

Fresh out of the UK, Barney Lister and Kojo Degraft-Johnson, the duo that is MRCY, bring the world some of that old-school soul in a contemporary fashion. A myriad of influences are embedded in several songs: “California” (Leon Bridges type beat), “Powerless” (The MRCY version of Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On”), or maybe some Silk Sonic on “R.L.M”. Kojo’s gospel background really shines on “Lorelei”, as he belts out the name of a past lover that he just can’t seem to let go of. 

Kenny Mason (Rap)

After some very strong features on JID’s The Forever Story and Dreamville track “Stick” that are constantly in my rotation, it was about time I checked out how deep of a bag Kenny Mason has. I admit to being a bit late to the party on his Angelic Hoodrat: Supercut album that dropped in 2021, but it's better late than never because I’m sure glad I found this. Kenny’s raw, seemingly unmastered vocals have a gritty effect on all 12 songs of the project. Showcasing his ability to spit over trap, sampled, and rock-inspired beats, this was surely the project that spread Kenny’s name throughout the world of underground rap. Fast forward to this year where his two recent albums, 9 and Angel Eyes, continue to impress me.