Natty Reeves - It's Your Move
It’s been a couple of years since the last project from Brighton-based songwriter and producer Natty Reeves. As will become evident upon listening to new single ‘It’s Your Move?’, it’s been time well spent crafting a distinctive sound shifting away from hip-hop, and deeper into the world of Brazilian and singer-songwriter music. The track is the final single from his forthcoming ‘Mist Over Water’ EP, following the success of previous singles ‘Bloom’ and ‘Why Are You’.
Again influenced by the Brazilian jazz guitar work of João Gilberto, ‘It’s Your Move’ is an atmospheric blend of stacked vocal harmonies and delicate guitar layers. The simple, repeated vocal hook, which sets up the framing of a game within a relationship, sits in contrast with complex, improvisatory flourishes from Natty. He shares: “Cordiero De Nana by João Giberto is one of my favourite songs, and it’s a simple phrase repeated over and over. I love that simplistic approach to songwriting, reducing down to a core message.”
Informed in equal parts by the songwriting discipline of artists including Ben Watt and James Taylor, as well as the deep harmonic and rhythmic language of Brazilian jazz pioneers João Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Luiz Bonfá, Natty’s forthcoming ‘Mist Over Water’ EP sees him craft a sound that is distinctly his own. Stripped back and raw, the music places Spanish guitar and Natty’s vocals front-and-centre for a free-flowing, tender journey, during which he reflects on the fleeting nature of life, and the importance of looking inwards to grow without putting too much pressure on each moment.
“I wanted to make a project that felt honest to who I am, something that represented my thoughts at this stage of my life. Recently I’ve been thinking about second chances, new growth and how fleeting life is - coming back to the sounds and rhythms I love, not trying too hard to make something that people would find impressive, this is a bit more introspective and forgiving of myself. I just hope that listeners enjoy the sounds and find some peace of their own in these songs!”
As well as working on ‘Mist Over Water’, Natty has been hard at work on other projects. Released earlier this year under his instrumental hip-hop alias Astairé, his ‘Greener Days’ EP is a tasteful blend of hip-hop sensibilities with bossa-nova-tinged passages and uplifting improvisatory flavours. A prolific writer and sought-after collaborator in his own right, he’s also collaborated with the likes of Matt Wilde, Simon Jefferis and Abhi The Nomad.