Here’s some upbeat music for the week, coming off of Rochelle Jordan’s newest studio album, “Through the Wall.”
Jordan’s been around for over a decade now, releasing numerous mixtapes in the early 2010s, all leading towards her debut album “1021” in 2014. Her most streamed song, “Lowkey,” which has over 24 million streams on Spotify, encapsulated the alt-R&B/trap soul sound of that era, with moody production and lush, sensual vocals.
Since then, Jordan has continued to grow as an artist, with her 2021 release “Play With The Changes” giving her more recognition. It contains sleek, psychedelic R&B cuts mixed with some vibrant house, drum and bass and 2-step production. Since then, she’s been featured on more mellow, groovy deep house cuts with the likes of KAYTRANADA, Logic1000 and Keys n Krates.
On this newest record, Jordan is not only at her best, but also her most consistent. The entire record is one continuous party of nocturnal deep house, R&B and pop. “Close 2 Me” is a clear highlight here. This song sticks out because of how Jordan works with the beat. Breaking away from the deep house sound of the record, Jordan transitions into pulsating speed garage/garage house production. Much like the era in which the genre was at its most popular, the track sounds reminiscent of the 90s/2000s UK Garage scene.
There’s a dynamic four-on-the-floor rhythm produced by MPH, a known figure in the modern UK Garage scene, beginning with skittering hi-hats and an alluring saxophone, almost sounding hushed in the background, for about half a minute. Once the beat kicks in, Jordan’s vocals mesh with it perfectly, setting up the lush atmosphere. When the refrain kicks in, the beat is infectiously bouncy — perfect for the club — with Jordan’s vocals, especially the stuttering “I’s” that bleed into the beat.
The chorus is infectious too, with Jordan singing about how she wants to be with a person who’s acting distant towards her: “It’s not fair what you do to me / Make me wanna live in a fantasy / Where we drop everything and leave /Can we just go tonight?”
Listening to this on repeat, it oddly feels like one of those tracks that feels too short, probably because of how addictive it is. Jordan’s vocals and MPH’s production make this a match made in heaven for those who love thriving house and R&B fusions.
As the track ends with Jordan’s vocals and one last wail from a saxophone, it feels like another impactful groove that fits with the rest of the record.
In a recent interview with NME, Jordan mentions how it’s taken her a long time to get her shine due to the struggles of being an independent artist in the music industry. The track from“1021,” “Lowkey,” blew up on TikTok. Jordan is starting to get her due credit.
