River Tiber – “Motives” (Stereogum Premiere)
Serendipity has been good to Tommy Paxton-Beesley. The 24-year-old producer churns out the kind of bedroom-pop-R&B hybrid that studio technicians are now trying to recreate, but can’t. You know, the kind of bleary, kaleidoscopic nostalgia that caught Drake’s ear and propelled Paxton-Beesley into a spotlight much larger than the glow cast from a bedside lamp. His latest track, “Motives” strives toward a similar radiance, peering through minimal, gossamer beats, around tweaked-out strums, trying to trust someone who is standing just outside of the light. Paxton-Beesley’s riveting falsetto is a sensitive, pressed thing, like a dried flower, threatening to crumble. Brittle yet plush, his voice ghosts over snap-and-click production that floats even when the beat hits. Serendipity only gets you so far — this dude is packing some serious talent alongside his luck. Listen below.