Album Review: Slodown's Experimental R&B Record SINCE WE LAST SPOKE is a Beautiful Journey Through Grief, Love & Growth

Slodown's record, SINCE WE LAST SPOKE, is one of those albums I fell in love with in an instant.

By the time I had finished listening to the opener, "HUSH", featuring Sweet Treats, I knew I had stumbled upon something special. Truth be told, at the time I didn't know anything (at the time) about the Singaporean-born and Brooklyn-based singer and producer, but that song alone planted the seed of curiousity in me. Today, a week later, I start this album review with a heart full of emotions and gratitude for Brian's art.

I did my SINCE WE LAST SPOKE deep dive while on holiday with my wife's family in Greece, so the long, carefree days spent in the countryside added a beautifully nostalgic flair to the deeply personal sonic collage of grief, heartbreak, and intimate experiences engraved in the record. 10 songs that feel like a homage to the fleeting moments of beauty that make survival feel meaningful.

Drawing inspiration from neo-soul and r&b luminaries like D'Angelo, PARTYNEXTDOOR, and Musiq Soulchild, Brian crafts a sound that's deeply personal and unmistakably his own. Rich grooves and soulful melodies serve as the foundation, while subtle nods to his East and Southeast Asian heritage add texture and depth. He also experiments with introducing various genres in the electronic realm, which adds a certain flair to his sound. Whether through traditional instrumentation, carefully chosen samples, or fragments borrowed from beloved Asian film scores, his music bridges worlds with effortless grace. The result is a sonic landscape where culture, memory, and modern soul music coexist in perfect balance.

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Written over the course of two transformative years, Slodown emerged from a period shaped by profound loss, uncertainty, and change. The suicide of a close friend, another friend's terminal cancer diagnosis, and the gradual dissolution of a long-term relationship left their mark on every corner of the record. It is those profound and highly taxing experiences that are often the fuel of so many timeless albums in the history of recorded music, and I have no doubts that SINCE WE LAST SPOKE will certainly claim its well-deserved spot in that timeline.

What I appreciate about the way Brian created this album is the fact that instead of surrendering to darkness, the record approaches life's hardest questions with warmth, wit, and disarming honesty.

Going back to the SINCE WE LAST SPOKE experience, my anchor to the record, "HUSH", won me over with its beautiful, yet vaporous energy and the fact that early on it signalled Slodown's ability to experiment with genres. I picked r&b, electronica, alt-pop, new wave, and anything in between. Alluring, personal, yet hauntingly empowering. A great segway into the album, if you ask me.

Follow-up "KNOTS" reminded me of a darker Frank Ocean, which, if you know me well, is an instant win. I felt like floating on a cloud while listening to those, just observing the world from a safe distance. I love the contrast between his high vocals and the dark, eerie, and quite heavy synths in the background.

Speaking of the contract on the record, I couldn't speak about polarity and not mention "POISON". At first, I felt very warm and romantic (further enhanced by the scenery I was in this past week), but then there was this very unexpected switch that turned my sonic world around. I was shocked in the best way possible. The chants, which Slodown introduces us to, remind me of traditional Bulgarian folklore, which gave me goosebumps. Paired with the off-kilter build-up, distorted drums, and experimental noise-like synths, I felt like heaven. I reckon that's the song I've played on repeat the most. Also, some of the hardest-hitting lyrics on the record...

Baby dry your eyes
they can’t disguise the lies
we’re never satisfied
always another high
but if i dry my eyes
who’s gonna sympathize?
lately it feels like

For those who love alternative hip hop, I really vibed with "MAIN STREET" featuring fellow New York-based rapper Granata. Following a short but sweet example of Slodown's peachy highs, Granata delivers an outstanding performance on this tune, which also serves as a cool direction switch on the record.

At its core, SINCE WE LAST SPOKE doesn't feel like an album written to fit a formula. It feels untethered and instinctive, yet somehow every detour serves a purpose. There's a beautiful tension between spontaneity and intention throughout the record, one that shouldn't make sense on paper, but somehow feels perfectly right when you hear it. Truth be told, my favourite joints ended up being songs no one on the Stereofox team would guess I would love, but I guess that's the beauty of music. For example, the purity of "I GET IT NOW" feels like a breath of fresh air. Weirdly, it has a heavy emotional impact on me, to the extent that I can't listen to it too much in a row, yet I absolutely love it.

Honestly, discovering Slowdown and his collaborators (shoutout to W.Y. Huang, Titilola, Linynig, and Dru Chen, all of whom deserve their flowers) feels like the perfect excuse to dive deeper into the world of alternative r&b/pop and experimental hip hop. Their music reminds me why I fell in love with the genre in the first place - a willingness to experiment, take risks, and follow ideas wherever they lead.

At a time when so many artists seem pressured to write for the algorithm, there's something refreshing about hearing music that feels unconcerned with trends or expectations. A genuine desire to create something new, which AI cannot replicate.

Moving between late-night city wanderings, salt-soaked coastal memories, immigrant longing, heartbreak, and reflections on mortality, SINCE WE LAST SPOKE finds beauty in imperfection and meaning in the craziness of this thing we call life. Each of us is dealing with our own ups and downs, and I don't like comparing the magnitude of difficulties in each person's life. They matter and affect us, so that's all that matters. What also matters is the way we approach things and how we get out on the other side. Lately, I've managed to semi-successfully be able to turn a bad day around because of the way I view things around me, and this record reinforces this in me.

At the end of the day, Brian's work is about learning to sit with life's contradictions - the grief and the joy, the absurdity and the wonder, and somehow finding a way forward. Give this beauty a chance. it will leave a sonic mark on you.

That is my reason to love music today.