122 MARCH 27-APRIL 2, 2025 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC & VENUES | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | SPORTS & RECREATION | SHOPPING & SERVICES | CONTENTS | Best Debut Album Right on Time Dzirae Gold dziraegoldoffi cial.com Dzirae Gold has been a staple in the local jazz and soul scene, and in May 2024 she dropped her debut full-length, Right on Time. It’s one of those classic albums you’ll listen to over and over again. Gold’s vocals are as decadent as a gilded chocolate cake, so pristine and powerful that you’re likely to book a ticket to see her live as soon as you fi nish listening to the fi rst song. We’re just grateful that we now can listen to this preeminent songstress any time, with the album showcasing a cohesive balance of sultry, slow songs and jazzy, energetic ones — and all of them dripping with soul. Best Hip-Hop Album Born Yesterday Nelo and Siah Rain’n instagram.com/gr.nelo instagram.com/siah_rainn Nelo joined forces with beatmaker/pro- ducer Siah Rain’n to debut a collabora- tive album, Born Yesterday, which was released in October 2024. It’s a master- piece comprising nine songs that each highlight facets and vulnerabilities of the human experience and our society, intri- cately crafted both lyrically and sonically. Featured artists include some of the best from the scene: HOME, Rebecca Hartt, Triiip, Wayne Watts and Jordan Burgett. For starters, check out the music video for “EXAMPLE,” one of our favorite tracks on the album. Nelo and Rain’n are in perfect harmony here, with the rapper’s bars well bolstered by jazzy, unique beats. Best Revolutionary Rap Album Mo’ Green Less Blues? RO$$AY and Burroughs rozzaydontplay.com Denver rapper RO$$AY’s 2024 album, Mo’ Green Less Blues?, mixes appealing jazz beats courtesy of producer Burroughs with lyr- ics that don’t lull listeners into thinking the songs are just for fun (even though they’re fun to listen to). Instead, every track on the album builds on a theme questioning the role of money, drugs and race in the world. RO$$AY executes the vision perfectly, help- ing people consider their own answers to those questions. After his spectacular Un- derground Music Showcase set in 2024, we highly recommend experiencing RO$$AY’s existential jazzy rap in a live setting. Best Love Story Album LAWLESS: A Love Story Dominique Christina and DNA Picasso Acclaimed poet Dominique Christina makes her musical debut in LAWLESS: A Love Story, a collaboration with her partner, lo- cal hip-hop artist and promoter DNA Pi- casso, who also created the new Colorado Music Industry Alliance. The album, which dropped in October 2024, is a potent decla- ration of authentic love. On the closing song, “First Poem She Wrote,” we hear Christina recite a poem she wrote for DNA, her silky voice moving mellifl uously over a hypnotic beat. The album stands out for its storytell- ing across each track: The two share their own weighty reflections on “Motherless Child,” while joyous moments are trans- lated on such songs as “Luv U Always.” The album underscores this duo’s bond as aspi- rational and inspirational for all who listen. Best R&B Debut 5 Rebecca Hartt instagram.com/rebeccaohartt When Rebecca Hartt takes the stage, she has a commanding presence, with all eyes locked on the R&B artist as she begins to sing. And now you can hear her off the stage, since Hartt dropped her debut EP, simply titled 5, in September 2024. The re- cording unveils the power behind Hartt’s velvety vocals, which wrap around compel- ling beats that you can’t help but nod along to. Lyrics cover topics of love and all the emotions connected to it, with Hartt’s ca- dence immersing listeners into her narra- tives and relatable feelings. It’s hard to pick a favorite track, but if we had to, it would be “Problem,” which empowers listeners as much as it makes them dance. Best Multi-Faceted R&B Album FUTURE/MEMORIES Kid Astronaut instagram.com/kidastronavt Kid Astronaut calls himself a “futuristic R&B artist,” but on his latest EP, FUTURE/ MEMORIES, released in July 2024, he folds even more genres into different songs — though it’s still primarily based in R&B. Each song stands on its own, whether it’s the electronic-and-indie-infused “Forget Me Not,” which showcases Kid Astronaut’s soulful vocal range, or “Superhero,” which includes more hip-hop and rap in an almost stream-of-consciousness fl ow about iden- tity and ego. The EP makes an impact that’s both refl ective and motivational, with Kid Astronaut proving that he’s a truly multi- faceted artist to keep your eyes and ears on. Best Neo-Latin Soul Group DOGTAGS dogtagsmusic.com DOGTAGS fuses cultures in its unmistak- able sound, seamlessly blending Latin jazz, neo-soul, bossa nova, R&B and more. The group began with the duo of Regi Worles, whose vocal range and smooth falsetto mys- tify, and guitarist Michael Merola, who tan- talizes with melodies that simultaneously soothe and energize. More musicians joined, adding trumpet, sax, drums, bass and keys. On stage, the members share a potent ca- maraderie, uplifting audiences with a sound that’s as refreshing as a cool glass of water on a hot summer evening. Having played such venues as the Bluebird Theater as well as festivals like the Underground Mu- sic Showcase, DOGTAGS is moving on up, with a gig opening for Lake Street Dive at Mission Ballroom this summer. Best Divine-Feminine Neo- Soul Album to Feed Your Inner Goddess Queendom LatinSoul instagram.com/felisalatinsoul We’re so grateful to LatinSoul for releasing Queendom last June, because we’ve had it on repeat ever since. Born and raised in Denver, Felisa Hernandez has long been a presence in the city’s music scene (she recorded her fi rst EP at Swallow Hill at age eighteen). As LatinSoul, she collaborates with other area musicians to fuse Latin, R&B and neo-soul rhythms with her ethe- real vocals and mystical lyrics. Queendom is an excellent bilingual showcase of the heal- ing properties of Hernandez’s work, with interludes that guide the listener to relax into the following track. The songs instill a divine-feminine quality that offers power- ful refl ections on our place in this world. Best Psychedelic Future Jazz Venus Cruz instagram.com/venusismusic Among other Denver clubs, you can often fi nd Venus Cruz at Herb’s, the Larimer Street dive that’s fi lled with jazz throughout the week. And you don’t want to miss Cruz, who takes the genre to the next level with her dul- cet neo-soul vocals over a band whose enig- matic structures and beats entrance listeners. She’s an artist you won’t forget once you’ve seen her live, thanks to years of hard work es- tablishing herself in the community, whether as a KUVO host or collaborating with other area musicians, including Wheelchair Sports Camp. Every time you hear her, you know you’re witnessing something unique. Best Jazz Album Off the Cuff (Live at Meadowlark) Namebackwards namebackwards.squarespace.com Namebackwards, or Enmanuel Alexander, is here to uplift fellow musicians of color through his Meadowlark residency, Off the Cuff, which started in 2023 and packs the venue every Wednesday with the best local talent he’s discovered in the scene. Alex- ander himself is a force to see live, emit- ting an unequivocally cool presence while grooving on guitar. That’s been captured on his debut album, Off the Cuff (Live at Meadowlark), which showcases his innova- tive improvisation alongside Khalill Brown (drums), Solomon Chapman (piano), Will Gaines (bass) and Parris Fleming (trum- pet). It doesn’t take a jazz enthusiast to recognize the immense talent on this al- bum, and we predict you’ll be running to the Meadowlark to hear more. Best Posthumous Jazz Album Old Main Chapel Ron Miles When Denver trumpet legend Ron Miles died in 2022 at age 58, there was no doubt that he still had decades of great music left in him — and that it would tragically never be heard. But one posthumous album has come to light: Old Main Chapel, released last year by the legendary jazz label Blue Note. The live album takes its name from the Boulder venue where it was recorded in 2011. Ac- companied by his longtime trio of Bill Frisell on guitar and Brian Blade on drums, Miles imbues the set, primarily made up of his own compositions, with both melodicism and adventure. It’s a fi tting tribute to one of Denver’s all-time greatest musicians. Best Funk Album On the Prowl Wild Love Tigress wildlovetigress.com When you listen to Wild Love Tigress’s latest album, On continued on page 124 ILLUSTRATIONS BY GETT Y IMAGES/DENIS NOVIKOV m u s i c & v e n u e s
