No Name Hotel - True Moon (EP)

No Name Hotel

True Moon (EP)
self-released; 2017

​3.7 out of 5

By Dan Weston

No Name Hotel is the project for a young producer hailing from Jacksonville, FL. His debut EP True Moon showcases a lot of talent and potential. He explains that True Moon represents “a first attempt at capturing the sun-soaked desolation and melancholy of a youth slowly wasting away in a forgotten Southern town.”

​ I wasn’t crazy about the theme when I heard it. In fact I would tell that young man or woman to tighten their belt, pick up their bootstraps and do what they needed to get to a thriving community or city instead of moping around in sadness. 

The EP starts with a short flickering of sounds of the forest. That's at least what I was able to pick up from it. The first song “Mosquitos” was a highlight. I enjoyed the beat but what made the song for me was the vocals and especially the hook. The ominous synth and other layers work as well. Great song overall.

Up next is “Solitaire” which was another success. The song revolves around another deep hip-hop beat but and he mixes a number of different elements like synths, ghostly vocal harmonies and more. I thought the vocals were again very catchy. There was arguably a little too much instrumental before the second verse started back up again. 

“Dogs (Glory)” was definitely a different sounding song from the previous efforts. An acoustic guitar is at the center of the song and he put the big hip-hop beats aside. “Trust Fall” had its moments but I thought the vocals had a little too much reverb on them .“Tamagotchi” has a more laid back lounge vibe more reminiscent of artists like Four Tet and Prefuse 73.

He closes with “Moss” which is about on par with the opener “Mosquitos.” The rapping was solid but what really made the song was the exceptional production of the beats.

No Name Hotel has a little ways to go before being his name is mentioned with the best of the best producers in this genre but this is a very promising start. There were inspired moments that really shined through showcasing his talent. Looking forward to more.

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