Notes to Self

Following a string of singles and EPs, 2024 saw the formal album debut of Miami-based Tama Gucci with a truly fantastic example of in-the-moment dance and r&b in happy queer-centered fusion with Notes To Self, a twelve-song, thirty minute example of the skill of brevity at work. A couple of guest spots aside, everything was also written and produced by him as well, with Loric’s mixing adding a perfect extra level of attractive skill. Notes to Self is also sequenced wonderfully, exploring quick shifts without sounding like a chaotic mess; everything from sleek trance to gabber breaks to reworked drum & bass and grime moves is part of the toolbox. Standouts are legion, starting with the bubbling propulsion of “Goodmorning Babe,” his breathily sweet falsetto suiting the lyrical sentiments. The Cassius Cruz-guesting “No More ‘I Love You’s’” is a melancholic, frenetic thrill, while the acoustic into electric guitar fuzz of “Runaway Pup” and “Wanna Know You”’s queasy beauty are compelling. Plus a fun lyric via “Only Smoke Trees”: “Baby, you know, I’m not from California, bitch, I’m from south Florida!”