(Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)/( Jerritt Clark/Getty Images for Neon Carnival)
DRAM is back with “The Lay Down,” a new sybaritic, soulful tune that features the celestial caroling of H.E.R. On the back end of the track, there is production from musician Andrew Watt, drums from Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers, bass from Welsh bassist Pino Palladino, and keyboards from Ivan Neville of Dumpstaphunk that bolster the track’s misty atmosphere into something both sexy and explosive. To say that it’s addictive is an understatement.
“The Lay Down,” according to a note that DRAM shared yesterday ahead of the song’s release on Wednesday (August 7), is the beginning of a new chapter that’s focused more on soul and R&B music. “No one’s pouring their heart out, but that pattern stops here!” he wrote about the current state of soul music in general as he introduced the song.
“The Lay Down” is soft, gentle, and warm to the touch. Smith’s drums and hi-hats are feeble and crisp while Palladino’s bass and Neville’s keyboards are distinct and perfectly sequenced. H.E.R. dives into the soulful tune with a peaceful plunge, embracing DRAM’s vocals and offering support. At the end, the instruments have an extended breakdown and produce a kaleidoscope of colors in the ears.
https://twitter.com/BIGBABYDRAM/status/1158825563793924096?s=20
DRAM’s debut studio album Big Baby Dram came out in 2016. He revealed to MTV News in May that his forthcoming follow-up LP is “going to be more mature, and sound more grown-up.”
Listen to DRAM and H.E.R.’s soulful clash on “The Lay Down” up above.