LOE is the moniker of Houston r&b singer Laura Reyna. Her Soundcloud is a meandering collection of collaborations with producers like ASADVS and Nedarb Nagrom that rely on ethereal synths and drowsy, warped explorations that further the new context of r&b. She’s even got a few self-produced joints that sustain her interest in ambient production with hints of trap percussion. Her work with producer Nedarb Nagrom traces back to “Time With You”, a track that has launched the forthcoming full length Blue Moon.
On “Time With You”, her request is genuine and modest in the need for an answer on the other end of a late night call. Blue Moon wrestles with anxieties and addictions far more troubling than the teenage longings for comfort. “Devotion” assesses the struggle of self-destruction with an awareness of motherly disappointment, while “Funeral” is a living will of requests for LOE’s wake; “I want an angel to DJ at my funeral.” As for “How Long Has It Been?”, LOE and Nedarb Nagrom’s submerged and drugged sound is the heartsick response to the unanswered calls of “Time With You”. LOE sings “I hit ya phone the other day / why won’t you answer me?” and answers herself “does it mean anything?” “How Long Has It Been?” is LOE as huntress and admittedly in a damaged place of determination. LOE is posing these questions to the ether, to the ominous vapor of Nedarb Nagrom’s production, and in doing so her darkest desires manifest. Place another body in the room and “How Long Has It Been?” goes from lovesick to missing person real quick.
LOE & Nedarb Nagrom’s Blue Moon is out February 5.
