wASH U AWAY

A lot of greatness has happened for DESTIN CONRAD since we picked him as one of the 20 Emerging R&B Artists You Need to Watch in 2023. He has certainly been on the very active end of the productivity scale because today we celebrate his 2nd LP this year alone.

wHIMSY, the follow-up to his April LOVE ON DIGITAL release, is an alternative jazz album - a label DESTIN produly put on the artwork, which I find quite cool. The album is a result of a burst of creativity during a two-week stay in LA and while this may sound like a crazy timeline, I feel it is the reason why the record sounds so free and spontaneous, plus it captures the joy of collaboration and the spirit of experimentation.

wHIMSY thrives on community and it features an impressive roster of musicians (who we love and have supported before). I believe that each of those artist have each brought their own artistry to the project. The list is a long one, but I feel we can't skip anyone - Louie Lastic, Mack Keane, Astyn Turr, Vanisha Gould, Terrace Martin, Ambré Perkins, James Fauntleroy, Keyon Harrold, Jada Watkiss Conteh, Ryan James Carr, Alexander Benjamin Goldblatt, Austin Brown, Maxwell Hunter, Dan Foster, Jaylon Black, Ashton Sellars, Dominique Sanders, and Bay Davis. I just had my first proper spin of the album and it sounds superb.

The highlight of today's article is one of the tracks that struck a special chord in me - "wASH U AWAY" with the legendary Terrace Martin.The crisp rimshots, velvety Rhodes, and the seamless blend of jazz instrumentation with soul, R&B, and effortlessly delivered bars create something that feels less like a track and more like a moment of pure mastery.

This could be one of those albums that define 2025.