Welcome to Our D.C. Playlist, where we’re rounding up the new local releases we’re listening to. Got a D.C.-area music recommendation? Let us know who we should be listening to here.
In heavy rotation this month are offerings from Bartees Strange, Shaed, Model Home, and more.
Shaed, “No Other Way”
Following the group’s breakthrough with “Trampoline,” which topped Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart last year, and a collaboration with Zayn Malik, “No Other Way” offers the first taste of their debut album, out April 16. Produced by Grammy-winning producer Ariel Rechtshaid, the song is an alt-pop anthem with a hint of disco, as the group — made up of Chelsea Lee and twin brothers Spencer and Max Ernst — offers a timely reminder to persevere against all odds. In the chorus, over hand-claps and soaring synths, Lee sings, “Yeah we could die a million ways, but we’re alive another day.”
Mannywellz, Mirage
The Nigerian-born artist returns with a collection of soul and R&B tracks that nod to his African heritage. The seven songs are more mellow than some of his previous work, like 2018’s SoulFro, but still manage to groove plenty. Tracks like the jangly guitar-laced “Danfo” and the slow-burning “So Good” show off his falsetto. Closing track “A Million,” a collaboration between the Maryland-based musician and rapper Wale, is a particular standout, marrying simple piano with an irresistible beat.
Bartees Strange, Live Forever
Following his acclaimed Say Goodbye to Pretty Boy, a collection of The National covers he released in March, Strange’s debut is a mix of musical styles. The British-born, D.C.-based musician genre-hops and sticks the landing, from the epic synth-soaked indie rock of “Stone Meadows” to the ruminative, folky “Far.” He also blends elements of hip-hop, R&B, electronica, and more on the LP, which he recorded in Wassaic, New York. Strange best sums it up himself on “Mossblerd,” a glitchy electronic track, rapping, “Genres keep us in our boxes.”
Model Home, SE
The new album from prolific duo Model Home — which comprises emcee NAPPYNAPPA and producer Pat Cain — marks their latest collaboration with producer Dolo Percussion. The nine-track record is rich with metallic synths and intricate drums, but NAPPYNAPPA’s lyrical flow is equally compelling. Opening track “REV,” is a highlight, where he raps over a bionic beat in sputtering fits and starts: “Revolution / Reputation / Reparation / Resolution / Restitution / Ready to go, go? / We gone move it.”
Beauty Pill, “Instant Night”
The group, led by former Smart Went Crazy frontman Chad Clark, recorded the song at his brother’s rooftop apartment in Northwest D.C. (with social distancing measures in place). Lush and orchestral, the track showcases the woodwind quartet that fused with the band in 2018, building from lulling verses to a sinister refrain. Surprise-released ahead of next month’s election, the song aims to inspire listeners to vote, with lyrics like, “Look at you patiently waiting for rescue / Maybe it’s true, it’s true, it’s true it should happen / Maybe it’s true that it won’t.”
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