OG Melody - "OG Realness ft Felicity Williams". At first click, OG Melody are something irony-laced and mildly heinous. After all, Isla Craig and Thomas Gill are not Original Gangster. They are young, white, Torontonian. This certainly doesn't put R&B off limits, but their duo is um called OG Melody. This song is um called "OG Realness". When Craig sings, "I call up my OG crew / mixing jams old school," the first image in my head concerns strawberry, pectin, mason jars.

Despite this first impression, "OG Realness" is exquisite, gorgeous and sincere. It is bone-dry bedroom R&B, a song of love and friendship that tilts and pivots. It is full of cut flowers. The production - restrained, funky - is a perfect balance for Craig's voice. There is a vogue in chillwave R&B, but OG Melody have little of that drowsy mire. This is not a sibling of the Weeknd or How to Dress Well. It does not even feel influenced by the-Dream. Instead, this is jersey organ, bare snare, careful squonking solo. Look to the Neptunes at their warmest, or Cody ChesnuTT, or perhaps a little of the Notwist. Or rather, stop looking. Despite their look-here wink-nod band-name, despite the look-here wink-nod song-name, "OG Melody" feels utterly unconcerned with looking over shoulders, with winks or nods. It is what it is, free as indian summer.

[download at Bandcamp]

The Records - "Starry Eyes". Like running through a flurry of arrows, without any sign of the archers. Arrowheads gleaming, breathless zing, can't decide if it's jubilant bleeding joy or a death-defying sprint.

[thanks john! / buy]

(photo source)