If It's Too Loud...

My love of seemingly everything L'Orange touches is well documented here at If It's Too Loud... His 2019 collaboration with Jeremiah Jae was my #2 album of that year, and this year his third album with Solemn Brigham under the name Marlowe comes in at #8 for me. Marlowe 3 is exactly what I want from hip hop in 2022. It has a vintage feel to it while still sounding modern. Once the album kicks into gear with the second track, "Past Life," you know exactly what you're getting. This is just a fun album, and Brigham has a voice and flow that is all his own. How fun is this album? There's a track called "President the Rock." While a lot of the modern hip hop I get into tends to be sparse, Marlowe 3 has a big, slick production while still not sounding like mainstream hip hop. We might not cover a ton of rap here, but Marlowe are impossible to resist. Songs of note: "Past Life," "Royal," "Light Trip," and "Godfist"

Artist : Ruby the RabbitFoot Album : Like Doves and Roses Quick Thoughts : I was honestly starting to wonder if we'd ever get new music from Ruby the Rabbitfoot given the distance between now and Divorce Party , but this was a surprise new listen that was a welcome surprise. The songwriting and production are a little lighter in all ways for this effort, but it's like she found a happy medium between the synth-heavy Divorce Party and her debut. Still, this is great and I'm so glad to have more music. Welcome back. Songs of Note : "My Heart's a Disco Ball," "Even If I Could," "Let Me Know Where" Artist : Aoife Nessa Frances Album : Protector Quick Thoughts : Aoife Nessa Frances is a little underrated on the singer-songwriter side, and one would hope this album could get her more attention. It's a great listen, with a real gentle feel and some gorgeous instrumentation. Feels like a folk album out of the 1970s, or some of Bedo...

Photo by Kevin Titus L'Orange can do no wrong here at If It's Too Loud..., especially when he's collaborating with Solemn Brigham in their project Marlowe. Their latest single, "Light Trip," has this unexpected futuristic sound. It's reminding me a lot of classic mid-90's hip hop before samples basically turned hip hop into cover songs. It's a weird combination of retro 60's space age cool and classic hip hop, but while still sounding completely modern. Plus, Brigham's flow is one of the most unique ones out in hip hop today. It's like the laid back feel of someone like Snoop Dogg but with the buttery feel of classic Motown singers. Marlowe is one of the more special projects in hip hop currently. L'Orange says of the upcoming album: “This album feels like a maturity to who we are as a group. We set out to make something that was big, energetic, fun and explosive and I feel like we did that without losing control. I feel like Solemn and...

For the latest single from Marlowe (the musical collaboration between producer L'Orange and rapper Solemn Brigham), the dup brought in Blu and Joell Ortiz fora couple of verses. "Royal" is the perfect showcase for all three MCs. Each one gets to shine on their verse with a perfect, high energy backing track from L'Orange. With a ton of sampled horns, "Royal" has all the energy of a brass band but more rooted in hip hop than those collaborations usually go. If you weren't already excited about an upcoming album from Marlowe, this one will win you over. L'Orange says of the new song: “This one I wanted to get out of the way of the rappers and let them do what they do best.” You can listen to "Royal" below. Marlowe 3 is due out October 28 on Mello Music Group and can be pre-ordered through Bandcamp . For more on L'Orange, check out the artist's website . You can find more on Solemn Brigham here . Marlowe 3 by Marlowe

It feels like it's been a while since we've heard from L'Orange. Luckily, the North Carolina based producer is back with new music, and, even better, it's his project with Solemn Brigham! Marlowe's new single, "Past Life," is exactly what we want from the collaboration between L'Orange and Brigham. It's a very jazz based song, which is going to remind you of classic artists like Digable Planets and Guru. But, "Past Life" is hardly a 90's jazz meets rap throwback. Marlowe's new song sounds like a modern take on that sound. While a lot of classic jazz rap was laid back, this one is upbeat and even bouncy. We tend to get into everything L'Orange related, but this one is great even by that standard. L'Orange says of Marlowe's upcoming album: “This album feels like a maturity to who we are as a group. We set out to make something that was big, energetic, fun and explosive and I feel like we did that without losing control. ...

We're in the doldrums of summer, and the new releases this week (along with a few we missed) aren't ones I have a lot to say about, so some quick hits. Highlights: * Vanilla Sugar - She (If She Makes War and Poppy had a kid.) * Allegra Krieger - The Joys of Forgetting (Solid, interesting listen.) * Matt Pond PA - Songs of Disquiet (Awesome as always.) * Marlowe - Marlowe 2 (Nearly as good as the first one.) * Grain Thief - Gasoline * Leila Moss - Who the Power Of note: * Jacknife Lee - The Jacknife Lee (Interesting release from the noteworthy producer.) * Peggy Gou - Play Gou (Billed as a workout mixtape, it's a solid electronic sampler.) * Pomplamoose - Lucid Dreaming Soundtrack * Helvetia - This Devastating Map * Jason Molina - Eight Gates * Jody Glenham - Mood Rock * Jenny O. - New Truth * Washed Out - Purple Noon * Mary Chapin Carpenter - The Dirt and The Stars * New Fries - Is the Idea of Us * Figueroa - The World As We Know It EPs: * L...

If you haven't been as excited as we've been for the upcoming album from Marlowe (the collaboration between L'Orange and Solemn Brigham), "Otherworld" will push you over the edge. "Otherworld" is perfect hip hop. Brigham's flow is effortlessly smooth, and has just enough of a unique delivery to set him apart from other rappers. And then there's L'Orange's production. I miss when hip hop had some discordant qualities, and L'Orange brings that back here. It has the noise of when early hip hop was bare bones and sounded like punk rock, but with a modern lush-ness to it. "Otherworld" does all of this while still being a banger (if the kids still say that.) You can listen to "Otherworld" below. Marlowe 2 , the upcoming collaborative album from L'Orange and Solemn Brigham, will be out August 7 on Mello Music Group. You can pre-order the album here . For more on L'Orange, check him out on Twitter . For Solemn ...

The collaborative project between producer L'Orange and rapper Solemn Brigham is quickly becoming one of our most anticipated of the summer. Marlowe has teamed with A-F-R-O on their latest single, "OG Funk Rock." It's a just short of two and a half minute funky as all hell hip hop track with all of the edge we're starting to expect with anything involving L'Orange. But, still true to any music from Marlowe, it's still a surprisingly fun song. Their upcoming album is going to be a must listen. You can listen to "OG Funk Rock" below. Marlowe 2 , the upcoming album from Marlowe (aka L'Orange and Solemn Brigham), will be out August 7 on Mello Music Group. You can pre-order a copy on Bandcamp . For more on L'Orange, check out his Facebook . For Solemn Brigham, check him out on Twitter . Marlowe 2 by Marlowe

Last year, L'Orange and Jeremiah Jae's Complicate Your Life With Violence  was my #2 album of the year. I'm obviously going to pay close attention to anything L'Orange is involved with from here on. Since he's just released a new single from his Marlowe project, I'm going to listen to that ASAP. Marlowe might come out of nowhere to land on my Top 10 this year, too. Marlowe is L'Orange's project with Solemn Brigham. This is their second album under this project, the first being 2018's Marlowe . "Future Power Sources," their latest single, is incredible. Brigham's flow is somehow both completely unique and oddly familiar. The song is completely compelling. Both Brigham's rapping and L'Orange's production feels like a throwback that is pushing the genre to where it needs to be. You're going to want to listen to this one nonstop for the rest of the weekend. You can watch the video for "Future Power Sources" b...

Album of the Week : Artist : Jenn Champion Album : Single Rider Quick Description : Latest from the longtime singer-songwriter; first album under the Jenn Champion moniker. Why You Should Listen : You like intense, mature songwriting. Overall Thoughts : I’m racking my brain trying to really describe the experience of this album. It’s very direct, yet still feels ethereal and haunting. It has an urgent aggression to it even in its almost airy and quiet nature. It is especially interesting for the lyrics to stand out and be so blunt when we’re focused on a sound that lends itself to a more metaphoric/allegorical approach. This is my favorite listen of the week because of how it upends the expectations it carries with it, and there’s something kind of cool about that. Recommendation : The best listen in a while. Artist : Cowboy Junkies Album : All That Reckoning Quick Description : Latest from the well-known act. Why You Should Listen : It feels a lot like what you've...