Timberlake is back (again) w/ the lead single from his upcoming 20/20 Experience sequel and this time he’s brought along Michael Jackson. “Take Back the Night” is an Off the Wall-era Michael pastiche for sure but it is a very good pastiche and if it means it’ll grab away any playlist slots from that awful new Bruno Mars “Treasure” song, all the better.
Justin Timberlake 
(Official)
Rating 8.4
Who doesn’t wanna have a go at people that think their ‘being bigger than the world’? Newcomer and Auckland-native Cavell slick R&B vocal chops and vibrant chiller beats breathe life into that story and more in “Supernova”. Song is dope. Have a sample at the track and new video for “Supernova” below.
Rating 8.2
Already a success in France (Her Together Alone LP went to #1 there), the vocal power that is Alex Hepburn gears up to release her first single in the UK, the b3sci rec’d “Pain Is”. To mark that single release, Ms. Hepburn lets loose a stunning vocally-leaves-it-all-out-there cover of Neneh Cherry’s mid 90’s track “Woman”.
Alex Hepburn 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.2
National Anthem artist (CHVRCHES, Haim) Josh Record releases “The War” the title track from his upcoming follow-up EP to his brilliant “Bones” EP. Already anointed a “Hottest Record in the World” by Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe, “The War” is stunning in its sparkling simplicity & beauty. Spare slightly-reverbed guitar arpeggios and Josh’s 100% committed vocal (& fine falsetto) highlight here a track that is clearly the work of an artist, writer & arranger of the highest ability and order. “The War” EP is out August 12th.
Josh Record (Facebook)
Rating: 8.3
Really this review could begin and end with a “Fuck yes.” but here are a few details about “Drops”, new from UK artist(s) Jungle. Space beats, space soul, soul w/ panache, pop w/ panache, pop that moves you; “Drops” is that soulful beats-driven modern pop that will absolutely move you at your most basic and most complex and will grab at you, addict you, make you feel a part of it. That is (roughly) how strong/powerful a track “Drops” is. “Drops” is a double-A w/ previously b3 rec’d “Platoon” and will be released on the very cool Chess Club Records, July 15th
Jungle (Soundcloud)
Rating 8.4
The very very talented UK up and comer Elli Ingram releases her debut “Sober” EP. A tantalizing (and we don’t use that word lightly) mix of current R&B and pop sensibilities w/ the powerhouse vocal quality and performance of the best and most well-lauded of the current wave female British singers; and, oh yeah, there’s this absolutely crazy re-work of Kendrick’s “Poetic Justice” that closes the EP and is our pick from the set.
Elli Ingram – Poetic Justice (Retrial) (Prod. Felix Joseph & Rudi Redz)Elli Ingram (Facebook)
Rating: 8.5
To mark their summer tour with The Neighbourhood, favorites JMSN release a new 7-incher “Fool”. The dreamy, a bit more far off in sound “Fool” further shows the BK band’s versatility and ability to move between style with skill and ease.
Rating 8.1
We love Jody Brock. The South West London soul man definitely evocates the power and visceral quality of the best vocalists of that genre’s golden era (e.g. Donny Hathaway, of whom we are certainly picking up a vocal influence) while channeling an immediacy and right-now-ness that pulls at you straight through headphones and grabs at you, demanding, pleading that you need to listen. Check Jody’s excellent brand new “Stormy Weather” single below.
Jody Brock (Facebook)
Rating: 8.3
This week marks the release of “Hustler”, the new (and just) second single from internet and UK based pop sensation Josef Salvat. B3SCI writer Erin Feathers recently caught up with Salvat for a quick Q&A about his rise to notoriety, knack for brooding lyrics and other messy cerebral stuff. Have a peek at their conversation below.
B3SCI: You are quite the internet sensation this year. Congratulations. Do you find yourself constantly smiling or are you overwhelmed by all the attention?
Josef Salvat: I haven’t really had time to think about it all, which is probably a good thing! But when I do it’s a little bit of column A and a little bit of column B.
B3SCI: Earlier this year your beautifully understated ballad “This Life” premiered with a bang. Your catchy maudlin lyrics and vocal cadence have people comparing you to Lana del Rey. Do you feel like you can relate in any way? What sort of an opening statement is “This Life” for you as an artist?
Josef Salvat: The comparisons are really flattering, I think she’s excellent. I think “This Life” is probably more a part of an opening statement than ‘the’ opening statement and hopefully that will become clearer as I release more stuff.
B3SCI: While we are on the subject, what are you most grateful for in this life?
Josef Salvat: The people in it – my parents, my friends, people I’ve worked with – I’ve been amazingly lucky in that department.
B3SCI: How is it finding your sound and image as an artist in light of becoming such an ‘overnight’ success?
Josef Salvat: I think the term ‘overnight success’ might be a bit premature. But essentially I’m still just doing what I want, to my own standards, which is what I’ve always done. The one difference is, now that people are watching, I have to learn from my mistakes faster than I used to.
B3SCI: Can you picture yourself crossing over from Pop to another music genre? If so, what genre(s) entice(s) you?
Josef Salvat: ‘Pop’, as I conceive it, is a pretty broad genre and one that allows you to dip into a whole bunch of different styles at the same time – so whilst my influences might shift around I don’t think I’d stray so far as to leave it altogether. But you never know. At this point I’m not sure where I’d go.
B3SCI: Your latest track “Hustler” is an immense hit amongst the blogosphere. The video is beautiful as well. Can you tell us a little about the song and how the video concept relates with your vision?
Josef Salvat: I guess “Hustler” was me trying to voice the psychology behind certain self-destructive behaviours. I tried to reflect that in the video and draw that distinction between the process of thought and all the messy cerebral stuff that goes on inside.
B3SCI: We noticed you have a gift for brooding lyrics. Is it difficult ever to translate seemingly real life struggles into your music?
Josef Salvat: It’s not something I can consciously do very well – if lyrics come about something then they come. If I sit down and go ‘I’m going to write a song about this’ I’m rarely happy with the end product.
B3SCI: Now that you are based in London, have you taken into the live music scene?
Josef Salvat: Absolutely – there’s no place like it.
B3SCI: As an artist what basic message do you hope to convey for posterity?
Josef Salvat: I don’t really have a basic message – I think I’d find that kind of limiting. And if one appears, it probably won’t have been dictated by me but inferred by others, which I think is usually what happens.
Interview by Erin Feathers
Josef Salvat (Facebook) (Purchase on iTunes)
“Listen To Soul, Listen To Blues” is the latest from Australian newcomers Safia. Wow, just wow. What. a. track. “Listen To Soul” is, well, very soulful; but that doesn’t really begin to describe the track’s power, it’s otherwordly grasp. Listening to “Soul” is like receiving some sort of revelation from the universe’s supreme beings or something, it’s that heavy. We understand this is very hyperbolic praise for such a relatively unknown act but damn, yeah, you will just have to listen.
Safia
(Soundcloud)
Rating 8.7
Freeze-Tag out of our home hood of Cleveland delivers in “Fall in Love” a unique and expertly styled take on contemporary R&B, adding less-traveled in 2013 textured to create a transportative, cinematic, progressive push to the genre.
Freeze-Tag 
(Soundcloud)
Rating 8.0
Bahamas records a perfect cover (and we don’t say that lightly) of the great Bobby Womack’s “Please Forgive My Heart”. Keeping intact the track’s infinite soulfulness while managing to not do Bobby hokey or corny and bringing his own life and guts to the performance, Bahamas’ cover is one of the best of the year.
Bahamas 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.4
