September is, for many, the gradient that separates summer and fall. The blissful sweet spot between those seasons is where bLAck pARty’s sophomore album, Endless Summer, exists in a perpetual state of R&B bliss.
You’ve gotta appreciate the cordial blend of live instruments, DAW sounds, and under-the-radar sampling that gives this project the persistent feeling of a California sunset.
It’s tough to dismiss songs like “4am In NY,” “July” or “Dancing,” with instruments, rhythm and songwriting all clicking to a premium. bLAck pARty wisely relishes in the catchiness neo-soul rhythms, but isn’t afraid to flesh out a sense of unlikeliness or handmade quality in the margins.
Endless Summer is sitting on the bubble of elite R&B albums released this year, and among favorable prospects it’s likely to remain one of the freshest albums I’ve heard this year.
