Joe Lington answers one simple question — where’s the party at? — on his celebratory new EP WTPA, showcasing today on Tinnitist.
Featuring a trio of funky R&B tracks fashioned from crisp backbeats, driving basslines, rich synths, nimble arrangements and assured vocal performances, Irish groover Lington’s expertly crafted EP serves as a fine appetizer for his upcoming 2024 album Pinkeen — and gets the party started in the meantime.
The title track WTPA kicks it off, with tense strings giving way to an R&B beat straight from the ’00s-era sound of artists like Jagged Edge or Mario And Joe. Lington’s vocals shine — especially when he flies up into his falsetto — while guest vocalist Isabel Izzy brings a sultriness to the track, which bounces between French and English.
Short and sweet, the second track Pinkeen spotlights the soulful side of Lington’s R&B influences, with a choral background in a call-and-response with the lead, not to mention some “heys” and “hos” reminiscent of Kris Kross. With a buzzy lead bass, the cut is more of a vocal riff and interlude, clocking in at just 78 seconds, with Lington once again slipping into falsetto in a Prince-like fashion.
https://youtu.be/ODdJq5j6pzQ?feature=shared
And FYI: A pinkeen, Lington says, is “a woman who repeats the same pattern over and over in all of her relationships until she realizes that she needs to do some therapy in order to break those habits, because she destroyed all her partners each time.”
The EP closer Hypocrisy — a smouldering ballad underpinned by a heavy-footed beatbox and laced with mournful strings — gives off vibes of Mario, mixed with some Ciara and a touch of Justin Timberlake. Slipping back into French, Lington fully unleashes his soaring pipes on another clean production.
An R&B and soul artist hailing from Cork, Lington is influenced by illustrious artists such as Sisqo and Keith Sweat, while adding his own twist. He sings in French, English and Cameroonian. He has released four albums — Black Desire, Focus, Trust and Nouveau Depart — since 2013. Pinkeen is due in 2024.
Listen to WTPA and watch the video for Pinkeen above, hear more from Joe Lington below, and party with him on his website, Instagram and Twitter.
