With their forthcoming EP likeWise, the Pheels claim their spot in the Emo Soul world whose gods include Drake and The Weeknd, whose sonic textures are a fusion of electronic, hip-hop and R&B influences, and whose lyrics are bluntly sexual. On their new track “The Heartbreaker, the duo – Curtis Fields and Phil Jones – creates a swirling dreamscape of beat-heavy, synth-driven soul that hooks you from the start. A plaintive male voice swims low in the mix, anguishing to his woman that he wants to give her his love and trust but “all [she] wanna do is fuck.” It’s a turned-tables tale of heartbreak that’s heady and hypnotic all at once. Their last track, “RNS,” not only quoted Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, but captured something of that hip-hop collective’s silky soul vibe. On “Heartbreaker,” they veer into PM Dawn territory, and anytime those underrated/undervalued hip-hop MVPs are evoked it’s a good thing.
