Apollo XXI: 9.5

Steve Lacy | Neo-Soul, Psychedelic Soul | released 25-05-2019

A modern masterpiece of Neo-Soul. Deeply lovesick and introspective piece on questioning identity and non-conformity with being queer. After the opener we're immediately hit with Like Me, a 9 minute rhapsody about not understanding yourself, before continuing to the meat of the album with some incredibly jammy hip hop infused soul from Playground and Basement Jack.

The latter end of the record returns to themes of longing and unfulfillment. The lead single, N Side, is a clean yet emotional track with a stinging chord progression over a click track and beautiful, echoey soul vocals. Lacy's vocal skill really shines on this record; a lot of tracks are simple on paper, like Hate CD and N Side, but with the performances become incredibly striking and engaging.