It was one of those nights where the air feels thick—windows open, half a bottle of wine left, my hair still a little damp from the shower. I’d just kicked off my heels when I hit play on SV’s new album Past Partial, featuring Antonia Marquee. And girl… I did not leave that couch for the next 20 minutes.
It’s giving serious Enigma meets Sade vibes.
This album is less of a listen and more of a surrender. It’s like slipping into silk sheets after a night out where you didn’t quite fall in love but almost did. SV calls these tracks “song-Trumentals,”—and the name fits. They’re lush, lo-fi alt-hip hop instrumentals woven with just enough vocals from Antonia Marquee to make you ache a little. Or maybe a lot, depending on what (or who) you’re trying to forget.
These are slow-drip songs made for late nights and early cravings. The kind of music that swirls around you like scented steam in a candlelit bathroom. You don’t just listen to Past Partial—you sink into it.
Advertisement
The opener, “Now You Wish You Would” is one of those slow burns with a beat that pulls you under. Antonia’s vocals glide over the track with smooth confidence. And then there’s JaMichael on the flute adding this cinematic shimmer that makes the whole track feel like a scene from a movie you never got to finish watching with your ex.
Then comes “Saving Grace,” which is exactly the kind of song you put on when you’re sitting in your robe, drinking something strong, texting someone you probably shouldn’t. Kevon Scott’s sax is filthy in the best way—like it knows something about you haven’t admitted out loud yet. The horn slips into the groove so smoothly it’s practically indecent, while Antonia’s vocals don’t just sit on top of the track—they melt into it, become part of its pulse. It’s low-light, red-lipstick, toes-curled-under-you-on-the-couch kind of music.
“The Answer” had me clutching my little wine glass and sighing dramatically. It’s a lo-fi love ballad, yes, but not the cheesy kind. It’s more like the soundtrack to a soft-focus fantasy where your situationship finally figures it out and shows up at your door in the rain. Antonia’s hook is tender, while the sax solo slips in like a kiss on the back of your neck. Goosebumps, babe.
“Art Seek Rile” is where things get a little more textural, a little more layered. The bassline is thick—like, body-rolling-in-the-kitchen-at-midnight thick. The guitar licks have a slightly psychedelic edge, but it still keeps that seductive, eyes-closed, slow-grind groove. It’s the kind of track that makes you feel like you’re starring in your own music video, even if you’re just walking around your apartment in nothing but an oversized T-shirt and yesterday’s eyeliner.
But the real curveballs come with “Get Lost” and “All That.” These two are where SV and JaMichael get a little weird—and I mean that in the hottest way possible. The flute lines are totally unhinged in the best sense—like something out of a psychedelic jazz dream, layered over off-kilter lofi beats and delicate vocal samples. “Get Lost” is this delicious swirl of soul, lofi, and something that feels like it came from a foggy dream sequence set in a 1970s film noir. “All That” especially gave me R&B stargirl who does tarot and never texts first energy. You know her. You are her.
And finally, we arrive at “Target Atmos.” If the album is a dream, this is the part where you wake up—but slow, soft, still wrapped in the night. Antonia Marquee takes full lead here, and she absolutely owns it. Her vocal runs are explosive but still somehow intimate. It’s like she’s channeling every moment of power and vulnerability from the rest of the album and pouring it into this one last offering. JaMichael’s flute is back to lay the final touches, fluttering through the spaces between beats like the last kiss before sunrise. SV’s production here is dark and cinematic—more ominous than earlier tracks, but deeply satisfying.
Advertisement
Past Partial is bathtub music. It’s “getting dressed in lingerie just for you” music. It’s “taking the long way home because you’re not ready to go back yet” music. It’s the soundtrack to your witchiest moods, softest longings, and most intoxicating nights.
SV’s production is rich, unpredictable, and deliciously off-center—his beats are stitched together like poetry: fragmented, hypnotic, and full of feeling. Every track feels hand-spun, coaxing emotion out of silence. Antonia Marquee is a goddess in the dark. Her voice haunts and seduces you in the same breath.
Together, they’ve created something that makes its own rules. It demands your attention. I haven’t stopped playing it since that first listen. Whether you’re in your feelings, in someone else’s bed, or just trying to vibe on a solo night, Past Partial is the moody, magnetic soundtrack your life deserves.
Light a candle. Pour the wine. Hit play. And don’t be surprised if you fall a little in love—with them, with yourself, or maybe even with that bad decision you’re about to text back.
https://www.instagram.com/jimspoolroom
