Welcome to “Underrated Artists,” an entertainment column from the St. Louis Park Echo covering unpopular and unknown artists. Every week, a different Echo staffer takes on the role of a writer, reviewing single releases and albums from four underrated artists.
The first time I heard Khamari, I was alone in my room at the end of a long day. I listened to a sad song called “Doctor, My Eyes.” This moment is what sparked my love for Khamari. The song resonated with me on a deeper level when I listened to it, and though I was already struggling and the song was sad, I realized that it made me feel better. I still remember listening to it repeatedly that night, analyzing the lyrics and later listening to the rest of his discography. Khamari is an amazing R&B artist who sounds very similar to Frank Ocean. He dropped his debut album, “A Brief Nirvana,” May 26, 2023. His voice and production are what most resemble Frank Ocean, but his lyrics are why I love him as much as I do. “Most of the time I feel too much, so I try not to feel at all. Staring at the ceiling, I Staring at the writing on the wall. Is there some type of pill I could take that would make it all go away?” This quote from “Doctor, My Eyes” is sad and shows his struggles with mental health But Khamari has a variety of emotions he can produce in his music. Another song from him I love is called “Cranes in the Sky.” This is his most recent track and was released Aug. 2. Khamari creates many different vibes in his pieces but every song works. He has a small discography, but his slow-paced songs are sure to make all of my playlists. If you enjoy artists like Frank Ocean, Giveon and Steve Lacy, he should be added to yours too.
On a late-night drive with my brother, he played “3 Rounds and a Sound” for me. It was a soft love song made by a band called Blind Pilot. I instantly saved the song and started listening to it regularly. I loved every part of the song. Its lyrics, melody, rhythm and production felt so complete. It became one of my favorite songs, butI still hadn’t listened to any of their other stuff. Until I found out that they were coming to Minneapolis to perform at First Ave. I typically look at an artist’s other music when I like a song that much, but in this case, it took me a while. When I finally did, it did not disappointed. I listened to “Half Moon,” and loved it, after that I found “The Story I Heard,” “I Buried a Bone” and the list goes on. Almost every song I listened to felt like it was made for my music taste. They are one of my favorite bands of all time and have just over 500k monthly listeners. When I found out I wasn’t going to be able to make it to their concert I was upset, but I did some research and found out that they were performing in Chicago at the same time I was going on a vacation there. It felt like a movie, and they were amazing. I have gone to a lot of concerts and they are in my definite top three live shows. My favorite song is still “3 Rounds and a Sound,” but please listen to the rest of their music. The lead singer, Israel Nebeker, has a similar voice to Conor Oberst From Bright Eyes. Blind Pilot makes beautiful indie folk music and I strongly recommend them to everyone.
408 Darwin is a fast-paced hip-hop artist out of Lexington, Kentucky. Darwin’s life has always involved music. His grandfather played the piano and his dad was a talented beatboxer. Darwin is currently underrated but I expect him to blow up soon. While “Move Tha Work” The first song that I heard from him was “Move Tha Work.” I love how this song utilizes a saxophone within modern rap music. Darwin started releasing music when he was 15-years-old.Right now, he is 17 and only getting better. His flow and production are so smooth that every time I listen to him, I feel more inclined to get back into rap music again. He is a talented rapper with similar vibes to a less chill J Cole or Aaron May. His lyrics and storytelling are not holding him back either. One problem I tend to find with modern hip hop artists is that they get lazy with their lyrics. An artist might be amazing in every other way but the lyrics of their songs might make it unlistenable. Darwin clearly takes time and effort to make his lyrics good. I don’t listen to much rap outside of a few select artists, but he makes the cut. I found him a while ago and still like to listen to him often. is his biggest song right now, other songs such as “They Made Me Rap Again” and “Look Again” bring XXXTENTACION or NF vibes to the table. If you enjoy listening to rap and hip hop I would advise giving him a listen.
I was scrolling through TikTok one day when I thought I found a new song by Beabadoobee I, somehow, had never heard. After doing a little research, I realized that it was a completely different artist named Rin. She sounded so similar to Bea it was almost uncanny. “Tiptoe” was the song I initially found, but after listening more I quickly learned that “Tiptoe” isn’t the only song that sounds like Bea. To me, thought Rin does sound very much like Beabadoobee, she is definitely her own artist. Their voices are similar, but Rin separates herself in her instrumentals and unique lyrics/wordplay. When I first heard her she only had two or three songs released, which were all great, but she has since dropped an EP (Extended Play) called “Mended Heart.” Every time she comes out with a new song, I only need one listen to understand how good it is. The way her songs are so simple and clear makes me feel both happy, sad and relaxed when I listen. No matter how I’m feeling, her songs help. I cannot believe she only has 60 thousand monthly listeners because I know so many people who would love her music. If I could choose one artist to go viral, I would choose her. Her music is emotional,relatable and has an amazing melody to the point where the worst part about her is she needs to make more music. I could see myself driving at night listening to her for hours. She is a calm, slow independent artist who makes alternative indie music. If you don’t know who Beabadoobee is, some other artists I would compare her to are Clairo and Laufey. If I had to choose a favorite by her I would say “Sweater Song.” This is a love song that talks about her appreciation and recognition of all the sweet things her love interest does for her. She sings “This umbrella wasn’t made for two, the left arm of your sweater’s due for a day in the sun.” They were walking in the rain together and he chooses to give her most of the umbrella and gets his shoulder wet. They are at an early stage in the relationship but Rin is already falling in love and the whole song is sweet. Please please please go listen to her right now–she only has a few songs out and they are such an easy listen.
