Hailes
A while back, I got hip to an artist named “Hailes.” I first heard her on a track called “Come Through” and it gave me a vibe that was simultaneously warm, airy, peaceful, and… authentic. So I listened to a bunch of her singles while on the subway ride home. I was hoping that she would drop an album afterwards, and she did wth “Good Things Take Time.” It looks like she rolled up a bunch of her prior singles into that album. And most recently, she appeared on the single, “caught up” by bad tuner.
Good Things Take Time (available on streaming platforms)
This album was released last year, but I just recently spun it up. I wish I had better words, but this album feels organically futuristic. It’s not typical R&B and it’s got a lot of experimental elements in it. But it is all well-composed and super cohesive. Each track feels like unique soundscape, but also they all make sense together.
I think some of her quiet tracks are really strong showings of vocals, lyrics, and instrumentation. “Lost” featuring Mai Anna, “Back 2 Reality,” and “Gravity” are really, really good. “Draft 7 ‘fruitless love’” is a standout track. It has spare instrumentation but comes across way more melancholic in subject matter and in sonics.
“Escape” reminds me of new love when the relationship feels easy and life worries are far off and not really real. And I can’t help but wonder if “Will You Be There” comes from that intersection of having had your heart broken but also having the earnest passion to step into a new relationship and fall into an abiding love.
And with the penultimate song, there’s “High Life.” A solid ode to joys and highlights of those infamous “jazz cigarettes.”
Prior Singles
On Spotify, she’s had a series of singles that she released before dropping her debut album, some of them which were integrated into her album. They do share similar qualities as “Come Through.” The first track I listened to called “Not Perfect” gave me summer vibes. Just fun and carefree. I don’t know if it’s the rhythmic repetition of the guitar, but “Orange Confetti” goes bananas to me despite being so simple and light. Makes me feel like I should be highway driving along an ocean.
The more recent singles in the lead up to “Good Things Take Time” have more fulsome production and are heavily imbued with a healthy dose of summertime neo-soul. “Only One” is for sure going on the summer playlist. “Can’t Help Myself” has the same punch while being a less airy. It’s got more of a late ’90s/early ’00s energy.
“Caught Up”
Honestly, this is a banger of track. It appears on the “look at me but through me” ep by an EDM artist called “bad tuner.” I don’t know if she composed the lyrics for this, but she effortlessly skates over this bouncy rhythms on this song. Her voice melds perfectly with this one. Love it.
Concluding Thoughts
Honestly, I hope she keeps at it. She’s got a beautiful voice and a genuinely creative and refreshing energy. I’m enjoying it all. Check her out on Spotify, Youtube, and Apple Music.
