new music: starchild & the new romantic’s ‘crucial ep’ heralds a bold new voice in alt soul #soundcheck

With the lilting synths of a Prince cassette left out on the passenger’s seat in June and a musicality drenched in the afterglow of early 90’s RnB, Starchild and the New Romantic’s Crucial EP plays out simultaneously like an ode to slow jams past and a future-facing affair.

By Nathan Leigh, AFROPUNK Contributor

After cutting his teeth as a touring guitarist for Solange and Dev Hynes, Crucial marks the solo debut of Bryndon Cook. While vintage synths and drum machines collide with modern electro sensibilities, Cook’s hushed voice drifts through the scene, dripping reverb and sensuality over everything his voice touches. Though a few tracks ride the line uncomfortably between “object of my desire” and just “object,” when he hits, it’s real. “Love Interlude” and “Relax” are essential cuts, heralding the arrival of a bold new voice in alt-soul.