Wesley Joseph and the UK's New Wave Keep Raising Bar

Anything that has a Danny Brown feature will immediately grab my attention, but sometimes his verse is all I’ll get out of the tracklist. That is not the case at all for Wesley Joseph’s debut project “Forever Ends Someday”. 

As a vulnerable, coming-of-age record, 13 songs and 37 minutes is all it took for me to decide that he is one of the most exciting acts coming out of London today. With silky smooth vocals from Jorja Smith and a verse from aforementioned hip-hop legend Danny Brown, this three years in the making package of true expression hits hard. 

Forever Ends Someday

“I just treated the record like a vessel, throwing things into it from my life all the time. I was capturing moments from my childhood, teenage years and at times speaking to a Wesley that doesn’t exist yet.” - Bandcamp

The album blends alternative R&B, ethereal soul, dance beats and heavy lyricism, showcasing the selective spirit of musicality he has, especially in the self-directed music videos attached to these songs.

“It feels original because it’s not trying to fit in one space - it’s all my influences at once. I grew up with soul music and r&b being played around the house, I’ve never not had rap music around me, and as I got older I spent a lot of time in my headphones getting lost on the internet - which led to a love of everything from electronic music to psychedelic records.” - Bandcamp

The present can go by with a quickness, as represented in the title, and the uncertain reflection of that individual human experience is approached way deeper than most writers born in the 90s could ever fathom.

The album is filled with catchy choruses, introspective lyrics, orchestral compositions, sleazy synths and roomy guitars, understanding how much influence to take from artists like Jai Paul and Sampha without borrowing too much. 

The studio sessions consisted of traditional studio spaces and on the other hand, the mountains of Switzerland, which can be heard in the space of the environments in which these ideas sit in. 

Nothing stays its welcome and each execution is succinct and purposeful. The world he builds leaves nothing to be desired outside of a live performance and the assured continuous artistry from the intricately detailed, endlessly talented writer, producer, singer and rapper.