Language

Description

After two years of touring the world alongside Solange as a guitarist, songwriter, and singer Bryndon Cook, 24, returns to his solo endeavors under the name Starchild & The New Romantic. Under this pseudonym—a nod to George Clinton's alter ego—this close collaborator of Devonté Hynes aka Blood Orange eloquently and unapologetically refines an electronic R&B that celebrates sweetness and sensitivity. On this record, he plays with opposites, questioning notions: retro/modern, black/white, religiosity/sexuality. Between ethereal soul and rhythmic 80s funk, the synth layers are silky, cascading over rubbery bass lines, all crowned by Cook's brilliant falsetto vocal melodies. Starchild claims rich influences: Go-Go, Soul, Hip-Hop, R&B, Jazz, and especially, Gospel. "My roots," he says. When Bryndon left his family home for New York, he was filled with bootlegs of his hero Prince and Sade records. Musically and spiritually, Cook has been guided by great standards. He studied the contributions of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis to pop, specifically during the New Jack Swing era, and dissected the touchstones that are Control by Janet Jackson, Bad by Michael Jackson, and 1999 by the Minneapolis genius. After a self-produced five-track EP in 2012, followed by Crucial, an EP marking his collaboration with the label Ghostly International in 2016, Starchild (& The New Romantic) truly establishes his musical identity and definitively launches his solo career with Language, a bold and versatile debut album that fits within the legacy of Great Black Music as well as more broadly in the realm of modern pop.