Music

Slept on Artist: Moses Sumney

This soulful, androgynous artist surpasses our imagination

Photo credit: John Edmond for Bazaar magazine

Have you ever discovered a new artist only to end up asking yourself, “where the hell have I been?”

It happens to me more often than I care to admit.

I love to play ethereal music when I write. Just the other day I was listening to Frank Ocean’s extended 10-minute version of Aaliyah’s “At Your Best (You Are Loved).”

The first half of Ocean’s song is gorgeous; perfectly suited for the purpose of finding my writing flow.

Sometimes I get lost in my writing and don’t even realize when a song changes.

I was writing early one Sunday morning — just before heading to church- when the algorithm delivered Moses Sumney to my oversized Sony MX-1003 headphones. Moses has caught my ear before, but not like this.

To Behold, But Not To Be Held

Moses’ song “Self Help Tape” got my attention. It wasn’t just their enchanting falsetto that broke my concentration — it was the melody and arrangement. And, the quality and approach to the…