Feelings

Right out the gate, Stylistic Murder's "Feelings" rolls in on a sample-rich groove—warm Moog bass hugging the lows, airtight drum chops snapping in the mids. There’s a crispness to the rhythm, a little space so Oddisee can step in, steady and ready. He doesn’t waste his breath. The man’s voice rides the groove with projection from the chest and delivery sharp as glass shards. He hits each bar clean, spitting with the cool of Steph Curry at the free-throw line.

Murder's production follows suit, building out of small details. Moog lines running in endless tones, muted Wurlitzer chords warming the scenery, and room mic'd strings fattening up the choruses. You want to call it boom-bap, but the soulfulness makes that title feel a little limiting. Still, the beat isn't the only draw here (though it is a head-nod special). The way Oddisee paces his flow, you can almost see the syllables bounce off the bubbling electro-soul-styled bassline. Each bar lands with a tight little knock that speaks to Odd's own reps as one of the best producers on the mic.

"Trouble will always find you in spaces you never left/ Escaping your comfort zone, you might make it/ Learn to accept/ That nobody's a favorite no payment leads to success/ No silver lining is shining/ we grindin' low in the depths." There’s a hard-won wisdom in how "Feelings" floats above the drama. Showing and proving that some rules never age out and are built to outlast every trend.