The first thing I noticed when I heard Rochelle Jordan for the first time was how effortlessly she blends soul, R&B, hip hop, house, and (especially) trip hop. Those last two bits are what really hooked me. There are plenty of great R&B artists out there who blend soul, R&B, and hip hop, but few of them add house and trip hop elements – and fewer do it well.
Jordan does it quite well on her new record, Play with the Changes. The trip hop touches are noticeable right out of the gate on the album’s opener, “Love U Good.” Quick, electro beats and swirling synths dance around Jordan’s hypnotizing voice…and then that house beat kicks in and you’re floating on air and believing beyond hope that Jordan is actually talking to you alone. The house grooves continue on “Got Em,” which will be played all over dance clubs once they open up in a post-COVID world. Rightfully so, as the synth-bass alone is worth cover charge.
“Next to You” is another sexy track with Jordan’s pleas for more than snuggles as sharp synths and kinky bedroom beats pretty much make you want to get naked. “All Along” is a fun track with peppy beats and samples and Jordan saying she’s looking for someone she can trust and “Someone to spark me up.” Meow. Excuse me while I release some steam from under my collar.
The bass of “Broken Steel” hits hard, but not as hard as Jordan’s vocal work – which is gorgeous – and her lyrics about the daily struggles of black women to be strong every day while carrying sometimes enormous crosses that we can’t (or don’t want to) see. “Better shut my mouth. If I sing my feelings, then they’ll say I am too loud. Blend into the crowd. Once they see my color, then they’ll think that I’m too proud. They’ll think I’m super-tough and made of silver stuff, all while I’m falling apart.” Damn. You think it’s a sexy jam at first, and then Jordan puts on a pair of brass knuckles that read “TRUTH” and wallops you in the forehead.
“Count It” blends birdsong with gooey, thick bass and Jordan telling her lover, “If you ever leave, I might be lonely, but if you ever leave, I won’t be beggin’.” She’ll make it without you, me, or anyone else. The opening beats and synths of “Already” would fit perfectly onto a Thievery Corporation record, and Jordan says, “Yeah, I’m good to go. Nothing personal.” after a break-up. Her ex has offered apologies and a good time, but it’s too late. She’s already moved onto better things (a dance floor being among them, judging from this song’s groove).
Jordan soon has “Nothing Left” to give her lover (apart from sharp synth-snare drums and brooding bass) after trying, again and again, to make their relationship work. She’s finally had enough and is leaving to replenish herself. “Lay” opens with Jordan leaving a message for someone to call her back before she sings about being worried about her lover being hurt whenever he leaves her sight due to her watching too much news and seeing what’s happening to black men across the country. “Your head’s always on a swivel. I like it better when it’s on my pillow…You’re safer with me when I’m watching you sleep,” she sings.
“This could be something, or nothing,” Jordan sings on “Something” – an agile track that has a bass line and beats that seem to move in multiple directions at once and Jordan wondering if her new beau is going to be “the one” or “the none,” so to speak. “Dancing Elephants” will have you bouncing next to them in the club. The thumps and bumps are undeniable, as are Jordan’s lyrics about wanting to keep dancing with her lover despite knowing the relationship isn’t going to last. They’re dancing around the elephant in the room. “This is all we know, this is how it goes,” she says. They’ll dance, things will seem better for a while, but that elephant will still be there in the morning. The closer, “Situation,” brings in a little bit of drum and bass music to go with Jordan’s falsetto and lyrics about realizing she’s fallen harder for her lover than she initially realized.
Jordan can not only blend musical styles well, she can also pen love songs that will make you swoon one moment and sit up straight the next. Play with the Changes is one of the best records of 2021 so far, and Jordan seems ready to be one of the Next Big Things – but part of me can’t help but wonder if she’d prefer to stay somewhat on the fringe (which is totally bad-ass).
Keep your mind open.
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[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]
