Lewis 2020s 3 Items

Debut single available on 7” vinyl.

Mercury Prize and Brit Award winner Arlo Parks first came to the attention of

music press with her debut single ‘Cola’. It’s a breath-taking, tender, poetic

and confessional introduction to an artist just eighteen at the time of its

release.

The then London based singer demonstrated soul beyond her years and with

'Cola' the submissive tones of her powerful voice are laid atop slow guitar

melodies that beckon you to stop what you're doing and just listen. The track

is written about bad love - in Arlo’s words, "Cola is a reminder that betrayal is

inevitable when it comes to pretty people that think flowers fix everything".

‘george’, an ode to poet Byron was released in 2019 just weeks before signing

to Transgressive Records and set Arlo on the path to being one of the most

critically acclaimed artists of the year.

Arlo’s second single available for the first time on 7” vinyl.

Hailed by The Guardian as “the hopeful new voice of her super-sad

generation” Arlo Parks released her second track in January 2019.

At the time of release Arlo told Clash Magazine:

"When I look at my generation I see a kaleidoscope of dejection, passion and

anxiety – there’s this strange mix of sadness and intimacy that saturates

Generation Z. 'Super Sad Generation' was inspired by the time my friends and

I sat on the green at sunset, half wine drunk and ugly crying for no reason in

particular."

Lifted from the Super Sad Generation EP ‘Paperbacks’ took its inspiration from

Space Song by Beach House and Changeling by DJ Shadow.

The British songwriter captures the specifics of being young and messed up

like no-one else" - Noisey

Dressed in a powder blue suit with the frilly shirt to match, DJ Yoda invites you to be his +1 for Prom Nite, his new album promising retro Americana full of daydreaming reverie, international megastar guests, trip hop acknowledging the likes of Morcheeba and Nightmares on Wax, and the turntable extraordinaire’s bread and butter of cuts, beats and rhymes.

Certainly no stranger to retro sounds having famously peppered his DJ and AV sets with the unexpected the world over, and his How to Cut n Paste mix series going all the way back to the 30s, Yoda’s harp-laden puppy love vibe spreads from the sweet and mellow sound of 2019’s Home Cooking, an album described as “boundary-breaking” by Mojo upon slotting nicely into the UK’s blooming jazz canon. Think deliciously harmonised doo-wop murmuring “Goodnight Sweetheart” with an eye for dreamboats en route to Makeout Point - on “My Energy”, Eva Lazarus takes the form of an earth angel, with Yoda on jukebox cut-ups, taking it back to starry-eyed, clean cut days of wonder (or more recently, Little Mix’s “Love Me Like You”).

Beginning enigmatically with the assistance of Hollywood A-lister (and former next-door neighbour) Lily James, “Breathe” demonstrate Yoda’s continued evolution as a musician (not to mention shrewd decision maker), with James’ vocal confidence - a little Lana del Rey to her breathiness - returning on the velvet-smooth “Airplane Mode.” It’s a smartly executed soundclash accentuated by LA rapper Choosey, the star of the album’s straightest hip-hop shooter “Harder I Rock”. Homeboy Sandman adds some kick to the prom punch with typical wordplay sent down “Coconut Grove”, and Liam Bailey is perfectly cast for the darkly cinematic sway of “Don’t Even Try It.”

On an album of many talking points, the LP’s crowning glory is opening single “Feel Like Home”: featuring the vocal comforts of the House Gospel Choir, it’s your go-to pick-me-up when the chips are down, targeting the hairs on the backs of necks like a softer focus version of Jamie xx’s “Loud Places.” Extended into an alternative, equally uplifting form by Beardyman’s “Don’t Mean Thing”, summer festival season already has its homecoming anthem. With tongues wagging, the twists and turns step away from Heartbreak Ridge when O Love tucks into the mouthwatering shopping list funk of “Way Home”; and “Lesson 1956”, featuring Jamie Cullum and DJ Woody, jauntily pays homage to classic Cut Chemist alchemy, Yoda’s celebrated turntable tomfoolery back in full effect and extending the flavours found in Home Cooking.

Magpie artwork supplied by London’s Endless, whose signature style has tagged Liberty and Lagerfeld as but two high profile clients, Yoda again maximises the experience and enjoyment gained from recording live instruments and prioritising songs over beats. His continued progress mixes risk-taking, elite musicianship, nostalgia brought bang up to date, and ultimately, good clean fun capable of stirring your soul, making Prom Nite a date to remember.