April 2023 was light on glossy blockbuster hits and heavy on quiet, personal course-corrections. Here are the five records that stayed with us all month.
THEY. - Nü Moon
Los Angeles duo THEY. tapped into 1980s thriller synth-scapes for Nü Moon, building a moody nocturnal R&B project around electric guitars and analog reverbs. Dante Jones and Drew Love switch smoothly between sweet falsettos and syncopated rap cadences.
On "In the Mood," with Yung Bleu, and the slower cut "Riptide," they let the basslines breathe without cluttering the mix with cheap trap percussion. It is sleek, atmospheric, and their sharpest work to date.
Jack Harlow - Jackman.
After getting roasted by critics for the bloated, trend-chasing pop of Come Home the Kids Miss You, Jack Harlow retreated to Louisville and recorded a 24-minute palate cleanser. Jackman. strips out every radio feature, pop hook, and TikTok snippet in favor of boom-bap soul loops.
He spends cuts like "Common Ground" talking directly about white suburban hip-hop tourists, while "Gang Gang Gang" explores the sickening realization that a close childhood friend has committed sexual violence. It is an honest, low-key record that restores his credibility as an MC.
Daniel Caesar - NEVER ENOUGH
Canadian singer Daniel Caesar returned after a four-year hiatus with NEVER ENOUGH, an expansive meditation on romantic fatigue, creative paralysis, and the quiet loneliness of fame. Rather than repeating his acoustic church chords, Caesar incorporates psychedelic guitars and woozy indie rock textures.
Songs like "Always" and "Do You Like Me?" let his rich falsetto take center stage over subtle live instrumentation. The album takes its time, trusting the listener to sit with unresolved feelings.
NF - Hope
NF spent a decade building a massive independent audience off brooding, cinematic grief and aggressive percussion. On his fifth LP HOPE, he attempts to break that cycle. Trading his trademark black hoodie for white, the record looks at fatherhood and recovery with less fury and more patience.
While his theatrical strings won't convert his detractors, tracks like "HAPPY" show genuine personal evolution. It is melodramatic and earnest, exactly what his diehard audience needed to hear.
Ryan Beatty - Calico
Recorded live with an ensemble of session players at Valentine Studios in Laurel Canyon, Ryan Beatty's Calico is an exquisite slow-burner. Stepping far away from his vocal contributions on Brockhampton records, Beatty delivers a warm, acoustic Americana gem.
Over pedal steel, brushes on snare drums, and upright pianos, songs like "Ribbons" and "Bruises" capture domestic heartbreak with hushed, conversational grace. It is quiet, patient music that asks you to put on headphones and turn off notifications.
"We are breaking boundaries, shattering stereotypes, and amplifying the voices of a generation poised to change the world."
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