After parting ways with 300 Entertainment, Felly returns with the release of Bad Radio, an album filled with his signature tender R&B sound with a newfound touch of indie rock.
Though a new project for his fans, Bad Radio has been sitting in the vault for the alternative hip-hop producer. In an exclusive quote, Felly recalls: "Baddddd Radio. These two words have been lingering in my head for almost three years now. I made this project in a 6 month phase of my life. It got finished and took new forms three years later… Songs searching for the light. For some sort of redemption."
As a result, much of Bad Radio carries echoes from Felly's older projects, sounds that feel like they come from the depth of his soul. The beat and tempo of Felly's music always seem to accentuate his vocal, almost like a warm blanket that gently tucks away all the quiet feelings.
Beyond his comfort zone of hip-hop and R&B, Bad Radio experiments with a more instrumental production. Specifically, "no tears left to cry" serves an indie rock moment that rings bells of Alex G and Del Water Gap. Felly further his sonic exploration with an abundance of sampling, as well as a thoughtful and stable album structure (completed with an "intro," "outro" and "Just Choose One (Interlude)") that allows a more freeform style of songwriting. The nostalgic, heartfelt single, "me and my gang," combines his strength of simplistic yet personal lyricism with a minimalistic, acoustic instrumentation, acts as yet another highlight to the album.
"So here is Bad Radio. 11 tracks. Self-produced. I played pretty much everything on it," in his exclusive quote for EARMILK, Felly elaborates. "I remember Monte Booker coming in for a session and asking me about a snippet, which was the single 'Bad Radio,' and being like, 'Why aren’t you producing all your stuff?' He exposed me to the idea that I can and should do a project where I fully lean on myself. I definitely needed to hear that. Especially from someone in hip-hop, because my biggest insecurity about this album is that there’s not one 808 on it and no rap. I think that’s the point though. I’ve rapped for like 6 projects."
He continues, "I don’t have a favorite song. I think the album is one big single. A 26-minute song. Anyway, it’s crazy this shit is out. I can’t wait to play these live, I think they’ll sound so much better."
