As an amalgamation of multiple styles and sounds, Jay Loud’s, Nap Town, is anything but sleepy. It’s a confirmation that Seattle doesn’t have any single particular sound but a culture that promotes the exploration of your creative side with no boundaries. When that energy is harnessed and embraced, we end up with albums like Nap Town.
In an interview with Michael Rietmulder of the Seattle Times, Loud credited his new experiences living in Washington helped inspire him to produce different sounds.
To an extent, Loud credits his new surroundings for the stylistically diverse departure from his more struggle-oriented early work.
“When I got out here, it was a new experience … so it’s something different,” he says. “It’s not guns everywhere I go, it’s not beef everywhere I go, it’s not cops trying to start stuff with us. It’s just calm. I know there’s some places where it gets out of hand, but I’m in the right places, so I don’t gotta worry about that.”
Excerpt from The Seattle Times
Nap Town sounds something like the story of a trap romance somewhere within Latin America. At times, the album is dripping with romantic tones as Jay serenades the mic using modern melodies. Then by the next song, the entire vibe has switched up and Loud is delivering a dope lil’ 16. No matter if he’s singing or rapping, he’s making it sound good.
Watch Jay Loud’s “Narcos” Music Video
I think the second half of Nap Town is where Jay Loud truly shines. The track, “So Many Times,” resonates with me the same way that all of my favorite nostalgic R&B songs resonated with me the first time I had heard them. Right away I can picture myself a decade in the future putting this track into a throwback playlist. From there, Jay goes into a back and forth between soft R&B songs and harder rap tracks, where he balances the vibes beautifully.
Honestly, a majority of these songs have that instant classic of the modern era feel to it. Between the top-quality production and passionate lyrical delivery, it’s hard to deny Jay Loud’s bright future.
