American/Nigerian singer-songwriter duo Steve and Dolapo craft a beautiful vocal jazz aesthetic on new single “Early Morning Glow.” Expressive vocal radiance combines with a smooth-flowing assortment of saxophone, keys, and rhythms — resulting in moments of both lush introspection and effervescent outpouring.
The duo’s members — Steve Petrinko and Dolapo Oladejo — met in 2021, and became best friends quickly thereafter. They formed a production company last year, and also released a full-length album, Companion. Petrinko’s multi-instrumental abilities have a notable role on the project’s strong sound, as does the duo’s combined 60 years of choir experience. The mission statement on their website reads as to “create audio / visual beauty that emphasizes the power of friendship, positivity, love, empathy, and inclusion.”
Gentle rhythmic pit-pattering and piano flourishes complement a declarative, title-touting vocal immersion to start. Smooth saxophone interweaves seamlessly as the percussion assumes a steadier presence. The tonal development feels reflective of that early morning glow, like sunshine pouring into a dark room and providing a warming presence in darkness’ place. The light-referencing lyrics meld with twinkling piano and lengthened brass bolstering at mid-point, as the illumination is palpable. The soaring vocal delivery, warming brass infusions, and melodic piano work combine for a radiant overall success from Steve and Dolapo.
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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
