There’s a very particular subset based out of (mostly south) London. All their styles and approaches might differ, but there’s a certain soulful synergy that binds them. Tom Misch, Alfa Mist, Richard Spaven, Loyle Carner, Bastian Keb, Sam Wills, the list goes on. Jordan Rakei actually hales from New Zealand, but since getting to London he’s become an intrinsic part of this homegrown soul-food scene. It’s only been 15 months since his first album came out but already he’s winding up to hit us with another one.
It’s called Wallflower, and it’s set to drop on September 22nd, but in the mean time we’ve been gifted with single number one: Goodbyes. It opens with a somewhat unexpected orchestral swell, like something from the score of a sixties thriller, and then the beat comes in. Almost immediately after that, the vocal arrives, accompanied by a guitar/piano melody which, in places, feels very Steely Dan. The guitar, incidentally, is provided by David Okomu, of The Invisible fame.
It’s a strong track, eminent of a slight change in direction for Rakei. The beat production is instantly recognisable but the instrumental arrangements are more loose, more of a throwback to the kind of thing you’d hear from similarly minded practitioners in the seventies. It fits perfectly with Rakei’s vocal, which is as soft and fluid as its ever been. If it sounds like I’m being overly complimentary, it’s because this is genuinely one of the best tracks Rakei has ever put out, which is even more enthusing given that we only have to wait another week or so for the full release.
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