7" Vinyl, Cassette
Sweet, the debut EP by classical trombonist turned R&B crooner Jason Jamal is only four tracks long. Yet despite its brief length, it arrives as the perfect set of post-lockdown summer love songs.
Pairing piano, organ, and trombone with synths and tambourines, the EP mixes pop and dance music with live orchestration in songs about romance and love. The topics move from love at first sight (“Uâ€) to the intoxicating days consumed by it (“Memoriesâ€), as well as the moment that love becomes challenging (“All the Thingsâ€). Jamal’s voice is unvarnished and bold, mirroring a lyrical style that delivers whole-hearted, full-throttle realness. Nowhere is that clearer than on the anthemic “2getherâ€â€”ideal for future dance remixes—where both his free spirit and his potent voice soars. “Don’t try to change me/ I’m on a roll,†he sings. “Don’t try to figure me out/ I’m on my own in my head, where I am free instead.â€
All proceeds from sales of the cassette version of Sweet go to benefit gender-affirming surgery for one of Jamal’s friends, making it another example of how fully love in all its manifestations—romantic, friendship, and self—are embraced. Jamal’s Sweet makes being true to one’s heart feel like the best—and only—way to live freely.
