NJWA – ‘Ocean’

SeaTravel – ‘Colours’ ft. Najwa Tashi

Kaya - ‘So Right’

Lunadira – ‘Stuck With You’

lost spaces – ‘fake.guitars’

In our on-going quest for discovering and sharing new Malaysian music, we’ve compiled a list of some recent single, album and EP releases by our very own homegrown talent.This week, we check outwho, along with her new stage name has some fresh new sounding tunes in her recently released EP, find out whyhas been faring so well on the Hitz.fm’s Malaysian English Top 10 chart (MET10), discover a really talented Yemeni singer throughand take a walk down nostalgia lane withIt doesn’t matter who NJWA’s father is because it has nothing to do with her music – which is a treat for your ears. Despite having spent some time in New York, NJWA, with her soulfully mesmerizing vocals shows that you can cut your split ends, but you can’t cut your roots. Having always wanted to experiment with traditional music and Electronica, she has just done that with her self-titled EP. It’s just perfect for when things start getting a lil’ hectic and stressful (whether it’s work related or just the morons on the road) and you need to switch off, unwind and let some good music transport you away.SeaTravel are a newly formed duo and what’s rather impressive is the fact that their EP, ‘ Urban Tape 1: Colours ’ was independently written, recorded and produced by themselves. This track features Najwa Tashi, a young Yemeni songstress whose dreamy vocals combined with SeaTravel’s groovy, soul-wave melodies totally gave us a Portishead/Massive Attack sorta vibe. This is easily one of our favourite discoveries of the week.With just six songs, Kaya have successfully flaunted their versatility with their debut album 'On Toast' that caters to people from all walks of life, regardless of their preferred genre. In the case of ‘So Right’, they ticked off all the elements one would seek in a Reggae song – you know, the kind of song you’d imagine being played in a Reggae bar on a beach somewhere that just puts a smile on your face and elevates your spirits. It is, for a lack of better description... so right.It was good that we listened to this track after having to deal with not one, not two but three different incompetent people at work. Lunadira’s gentle, sultry voice in this track goes to prove that covers isn’t all she’s good at and with her locked down for the upcoming Good Vibes Festival, we’re pretty sure she’s just cemented her status as an artist to watch going forward.If the old-school Volvo 240 GL and that retro film filter used for this music video isn’t enough of an indication of the 80’s influence and chill, road-trip vibe that is to follow, we don’t know what is. The track’s laid back, dreamy music is sort of contrasted by its lyrics which depicts feelings of hopelessness attributed to this sometimes difficult and confusing journey called life. But at the end of the day, ‘fake.guitars’ also shows that when you have something or someone to hold on to and make you feel alive, it’s all good. This song to us, is one of those things.Have a new release? Know of a good local song that isn’t getting the exposure and recognition it deserves? Hit us up at rojakdaily@astro.com.my