Up and coming R&B act JAMESDAVIS hosted a private penthouse event this past Thursday to count down and celebrate the release of their latest EP, MASTERPEACE.
The mood of the room was laid back, the initial awkwardness of many strangers packed into one room smoothed over with Ciroc VS Brandy and Southwestern-style hors d’ oeuvres. The vibe matched JAMESDAVIS’s sound. Like their past EPs, MASTERPEACE delivers a distinct blend of hypnotic R&B, soul, and indie. But they also feel more cohesive and widely-appealing. The sibling trio that makes up JAMESDAVIS are each solidifying their unique strengths to create something rich and mesmerizing.
At the event, partygoers lounged on couches and mingled by the bar while bandmembers flitted in and out greeting friends and strangers alike. A little over an hour in, JAMESDAVIS convened the crowd around them before the room’s large windows overlooking Manhattan’s 23rd Street.
AusTon sat back on a couch, arms spread on either side, an easy confidence emanating from behind his dark circular sunglasses. Jess and Rey, fraternal twins, stood in front of him swaying gently to an acoustic guitar. The trio sang through two singles from MASTERPEACE, and one track from last year’s Lamplighter Vol. 1: “You Light My Fire,” “Something to Talk About,” and “Evergreen.”
The raw acoustic versions of these songs spotlight the complementary moods, aesthetics, and vocal abilities of each member. Rey’s dulcet lead vocals are quiet and captivating. Jess filled in the space around Rey with harmonies and runs bursting straight from the heart. AusTon’s versatile voice, whether a low drawl or an impassioned soul baritone, mediated his older sisters’. It’s unclear if each sibling wrote out their vocal parts or planned the exact structure of each song. But it doesn’t matter. JAMESDAVIS is in tune with itself, each member perfectly calibrated to the others. Every vocal flourish felt intentional, and every layered harmony elevated the performance beyond its acoustic simplicity.
MASTERPEACE is out now. Listen on YouTube or check out the latest at JAMESDAVIS’s website here!
