Cambridgeshire-based guitarist and vocalist, HRTLSS, has been a touring artist since 12-years-old when he toured with a metal band. After a 10 year break, he’s making a calculated return. “Paranoid” sees him and LAYNE bringing Weeknd-esque vocals and synths to a song about swirling anxieties.
R&B
Why We Like It: Abigail Sernal’s “Subtleties”
Abigail Sernal learns from the little things in “Subtleties” as she reflects. A gentle melody sweeps across the track, leaving Sernal’s vocals to settle positivity into the corners of negative experiences like a laminated memory.
Why We Like It: Khamari “Pull Up”
Over smooth vocals and a supremely funky bassline, Khamari displays giving into desire and letting go of denial. “Pull Up” is a foot tapper, a head nodder, a funk-driven single with bedroom R&B grooves.
Sounds That Kept Us Sane: The Albums That Got CentralSauce Through 2020
Rather than a list of our objectively “best” albums of 2020, CentralSauce would like to present you with something more personal. These are the albums that kept each one of our writers hanging on to their sanity throughout a particularly difficult year.
Why We Like It: BRIDGE- “It’s Ok”
Alternative R&B with blues guitar has us sold on BRIDGE’s new single, “It’s Ok,” but the specificity of the circumstance beneath it is what keeps our attention. Searching for companionship to escape turmoil is something we can all relate to.
Why We Like It: KIRBY’s “Superpower” Ft. D Smoke
On the affirming “Superpower,” KIRBY and D Smoke make for a dynamic duo. KIRBY’s dreamy melodies and D Smoke’s concise bars give the song an empowering sense of leadership.
Conversations with Chris Patrick: From the Heart, Vol. 2
Among internal strife and external chaos, Chris Patrick searches for peace of mind. On his highly anticipated 2020 album, ‘From the Heart, Vol. 2,’ the New Jersey emcee grapples with striving for lofty goals within a system that’s designed to make even his success an outlying statistic.
Why We Like It: Dende’s “Phone Number” Ft. Chris Patrick, Bairi
“Phone Number” feels like a low light neon-tinged love song but opens a window to lessons Dende has learned about keeping a tight circle. Guest features from Chris Patrick and Bairi make a bright blend of bars and R&B that’s easy to groove to.
Why We Like It: Thythy’s “Free As A Bird”
Freedom in simplicity. With just a guitar and some subtle vocal layering, Thythy grows wings on “Free As a Bird.” The minimalistic touch closes the gap between singer and listener making the experience intimate and refreshing.
Why We Like It: Hailes’ “Come Thru” Ft. Jonathan Singletary
On her debut single “Come Thru,” Hailes fuses her deft pen, sharp guitar and gorgeous vocal into an intricate arrival. While she sings her way through the floating instrumental, Jonathan Singletary’s bars texturize the flight with a melodic rap verse.
'