Earth Girls
Compared to his modern contemporaries, Jesse Boykins III stands head and shoulders above the rest and has a firm grasp on the title of ‘most talented male vocalist’. Taking up the mantle left open by the likes of MusiqSoulchild, JB3’s releases are the blueprint, the vehicle to, and representation of soul music in 2016. Pulling from an eclectic array of themes such as neo-soul, R&B, reggae, hip-hop, and jazz, Boykins has mastered the feat of flowing interchangeably across musical realms. Further, his success and assimilation into each of these genres leaves listeners wondering if he is redefining them all.
Following up a wildly success 2014 LP titled Love Apparatus, Jesse Boykins III has unleashed his latest album August 1st. At first listen, BARTHOLOMEW stands up against its predecessor and will certainly age well by touching on classic themes throughout. While the album has features from the likes of Noname, Little Simz, Willow Smith, Syd, Mick Jenkins and others, his best work is done on a solo piece. The standout track of the collection, “Earth Girls” also serves as the introduction to BARTHOLOMEW. Playing softly into existence with an emotional piano loop, Boykins’ unmistakable voice harmonizes the lines of the chorus before leading into the ballad that is verse one.
Jesse Boykins III’s full length work BARTHOLOMEW can be downloaded via WeTransfer here. Lucky readers living in New York will also get a chance to see the album performed with his live band The Beauty Created at the Brooklyn Bowl on August 17th – tickets can be found here while they last.
