urfriendgrace is a singer and producer who is based in New York/New Jersey. The artist has been writing songs ever since she was young, but only officially embarked on her independent music career in 2019. urfriendgrace’s music on her latest album hopeful nocturnal is a smattering of alt/futuristic R&B grooves with her delicate and elegance vocal stylings as its driving force. While listing several of her influences as Aretha Franklin, Alicia Keys, Kaye Webster, Caroline Polachek and FKA Twigs, I think the artist is able to exemplify these artists without neglecting her own unique voice.
hopeful nocturnal gets started with “toma” that starts out with some chill synths and keys. This track takes its time in evolving without absolutely no rush to it. Once urfriendgrace’s vocals came in, the haunting sound of this number really came to effect. The artist’s vocals were delicate, paced with yearning and emotion. Piano, synths and lush background vocals are included on “rare cereal toy.” urfriendgrace sings in a falsetto. The smooth R&B vibes on this track really made for a great listening experience. “seltzer! (ft. LUKAZ)” starts off to some wonky and funky beats. I was definitely getting some blues and funk here. This felt like a nice change of pace coming from the artist. I was also getting some lounge vibes here. This made for another relaxing and ear-pleasing listen. Once LUKAZ easy-going rhymes come in, you really get a sense of his compelling flow. More synths come in for an other-worldly vibe on “venus.” Next, some futuristic hip hop beats arrive. urfriendgrace’s vocals sound very subdued here. Her singing could be barely heard over the mix. To my ears, this felt like a sultry track where the artist is able to up the heat factor with her sexy vocal styles. Some more atmospheric synths come in on “grace’s interlude.” A piano melody adds to the haunting sounds. With the slow sound of piano comes urfriendgrace’s spoken confessions over voicemail. The vibe here felt intimate and immediate all at once. Smooth electronic riffs sound out in the background as urfriendgrace’s melodious vocals grows on you on “icanthealyou.” There’s just something so resonating about her vocal powers that I couldn’t help but be pulled in by her moving vocal harmonies. On “gateway,” some percussive beats come in adding a lively feel. Some monotone-ish piano also enters. Together with the artist’s stripped back vocals, this made for a simple but emotional delivery. On “crazy,” the artist does a 180 with this acoustic song that made for a stripped back sound that I felt will reverberate with a lot of us. Shimmering keys arrive along with some synths on “nyny.” This made for an atmospheric listen. urfriendgrace’s vocals were once more soft and compelling all at once. The artist chooses to conclude her album with this stirring release. The artist describes the album as “quite ethereal and childlike in sound, structure, and theme.” While that is true, I think that the record feels for the most part like a lullaby and this can definitely take on a “childlike” sound. These tracks all have a quiet quality to them that I feel a lot of listeners who are looking for something relaxing and soothing to mellow out to will find this worthwhile of exploring. There’s an innocent and childlike wonder to these tracks that I feel will speak to a lot of people! Without a doubt, be sure you give hopeful nocturnal a listen today!
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