It’s been a minute since we last heard from Nashville multihyphenate $avvy. Following the release of his last project Boys Wear Pearls early last year. Save for last summer’s lone single “Calling It Quits”, it’s been mostly radio silence from our young king. If you live on the east coast you might have been able to catch $avvy perform live, but chances are you’ve been just like me – patiently waiting for new music from one of Nashville’s most exciting newcomers. Luckily today fans are treated to a project many months inthe making, POOR, the newest LP from $avvy himself.

Known for his unique take on R&B and hip-hop, POOR sees $avvy flexing his artistic talents even further while sounding more concentrated than ever before. This is a theme that comes up frequently on POOR, as each track showcases a new musical style and aspect of versatility from the young Tennessee artist that fans have missed over the past year. POOR‘s opening track “CALL” features a serene and shimmering mix that sees $avvy leveling his own modern style with a vintage 90’s R&B sensibility. The next minute he’s spitting bars on “CRUCIAL” with laid-back confidence over a nostalgic mix that sounds like it could have been pulled from “Goldeneye 007”. From the hazy yet hyped up “JANSPORT” to the muted basslines of “GROWNMAN” – $avvy refuses to stay put on one style for long, but nothing ever feels rushed or short-lived.

One of POOR‘s many merits comes in the form of clever and fleshed-out tracks that each offer something a little different to the listener. It’s hard not to marvel during moments like the dreamlike bounce of “Ego” with its distorted keys and hard-hitting percussion. Then there’s “GO!” – a summery and hypnotic bop that synthesizes $avvy’s unique take on R&B, hip-hop, and alt-pop all in one. Even tracks like “SHAILEBUSSDOWN” carry an ethereal and ambient rhythm that is sure to make fellow artists return to the drawing board somewhat inspired and envious.

The production quality on POOR is also miles ahead of $avvy’s previous work, which is saying something because it was one of the things I gravitated towards when listening to his last record over a year ago. Some of the mixes on this project are quite literally insane, with each one serving as the perfect foundation for $avvy to deliver carefully-composed verses with palpable charm at every moment. I can’t tell if I’m just biased because I love ambient music, but “TERIYAKI” also has one of the hardest beats I’ve heard so far this year – and I’ve heard the new Pusha T record! Even the album closer “CLOSE THE CURTAINS” sounds like an old Jazz Cartier cut – but every moment is decorated with a distinct $avvy flair.

Though I’m hoping that we won’t have to wait more than a year for the next $avvy release, there’s no doubt in my mind that POOR has exceeded my already-high expectations from the young artist. Boys Wear Pearls was one of my favorite projects of last year, with every track being an aux-ready banger ready to impress even my most esteemed music friends – but POOR is so much more developed that it warms my heart to see another strong entry in a promising artists journey. Hopefully fans will be treated to some new visuals by the end of 2022, but until $avvy’s next release, you can catch me spinning POOR on repeat.