Alexis “LeXus” Hayward is a dab hand at making the sort of sultry-soul numbers that touch down somewhere between a zoned-out smokebox session with your longtime love and a heart-stirring make-out session with your new boo thang. As one of the most arresting new voices on the indie-soul scene, Lex has carved out her own musical identity over a series of vocal and instrumental releases – marrying “whispers in the dark” styled R&B vocals with blunted, post-Brainfeeder styled production. With her newest vocal release, Let’s Escape, the VybeTribe leader takes to the air with songs about getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city, appreciating yourself, and being fully present in the moment in order to fully enjoy the vibes being offered.

“Use Ya Mind“, the album’s lead track, is a wavy hip-hop soul piece that features fellow Cali-rep Pheo and will probably serve as the most accessible entry point for many listeners that are new to LeXus‘ music. As the two artists make their case for virtues such as inward reflection and self-acceptance, the sounds of spacey, G-funk synthesizers and a stocky drum-machine open up a flood of nostalgia for listeners to sink into.

https://lexus.bandcamp.com/track/use-ya-mind-ft-pheo

The stress-free, float-above-the-fray energy that characterizes “Use Ya Mind” drifts throughout the entirety of Let’s Escape. On a breezy and futuristic number called “Don’t Hesitate” our cozy-voiced queen sketches a scene that feels profoundly erotic but is relatively toned-down when compared to many of the hypersexual offerings of so many of her peers. “You Just Wait“ slinks and growls out of the speaker like a serpent and our alluring singer straddles the night-stalking beat with assured authority. A few more defining moments on the album include a bouncy number called “LeX’s Escape” – which offers the kind of earthy-boom-bap-soulfulness that has won the ladies of OSHUN praise from fans and critics across the globe; a bit of slowed down, broken-beat brilliance called “Vegas“; and a brief-but-oh-so-nice interlude called “U 2 Fine“ that left me wondering why LeXus and Georgia Anne Muldrow have linked up to make some VybeTribe/SomeOthaShip greatness.

Let’s Escape leaves LeXus with plenty of room to stretch out her creative muscles and add greater detail to her unique outlook as a young woman and an artist. And just like the previously mentioned Ms. Muldrow, the music that blooms from the mind of this “one-woman band” is refreshingly eclectic yet welcoming. You get the sense that LeXus is aware that her laid-back approach to life and love isn’t exactly the norm in this day and age and that she genuinely wants her listeners to enjoy the same good vibes that she is able to bask in. And for so many of us, the chance to temporarily escape our surroundings as a sweetly-voiced guide steers us along is exactly what we need.

You can listen to (and buy) Let’s Escape via the links listed below as well as catch up on the latest music and news from LeXus by making sure that you’re connected to her via the social links listed below.

“Enjoying her voice, it’s healing. [The song] ‘Vegas’ really takes me there.…” – Vic Spencer via Bandcamp

vibes – wavy, inviting, flowing, mellow, breezy, stress-free, floating, warm-hearted, lots of love, trippy, laid-back, zoned out, affectionate, introspective, loving, sultry, chilled

Stream & buy LeXus’ music on…
( Amazon | Bandcamp | Deezer | iTunes | Spotify | Tidal )

https://lexus.bandcamp.com/album/lets-escape

Connect with LeXus on…
( Facebook | Instagram | Official Site | Soundcloud | Twitter | YouTube  )