In the field of emerging, forward-facing British R&B stars – a stacked bracket that includes recent NME cover stars FLO and Bellah, alongside 0207 Def Jam signee Debbie – No Guidnce have built a fervent following by crafting songs that feel both intimate and untouchable. The four-piece first came to prominence last year through TikTok, posting covers of hits by Bruno Mars and Ariana Grande – all of which were filmed, seemingly, in a central London car park. By the end of 2022, they were the sixth most-viewed artist on the platform.
With their new single ‘Let It Rain’, No Guidnce – comprising Kaci Brookz and Zeekay, both 19, Ebubé, 20, and Josh Lomat, 22 – provide compelling evidence that they are fast becoming a defining vocal group of the moment. Sure, they are already stars in a quantifiable way: each track from their recent ‘Is It A Crime?’ EP has racked up streams in the millions, while a London headline show for next month sold out in mere minutes. Their brief back catalogue is already impressively diverse, too, taking in everything from a surprisingly slick Spandau Ballet interpolation on ‘Lie To Me’ to ’90s R&B flourishes elsewhere.
But it never feels like pastiche: the four-piece’s influences all fit under an overarching aesthetic of isolated, small-hours haziness. On ‘Let It Rain’, their relationship dissections are questioning and openly hurt, with cold snare beats and spacious atmospherics evoking the chill of a wet, windy evening. “You used to live rent-free in my mind,” Ebubé sings at one point, sustaining a Miguel-like coo as he delivers the line with an endearing sincerity. The shades of palpable cringe-worthiness that run through the lyrics make the track both cathartic and charming at once.
‘Let It Rain’ is respectful of genre tradition, while also quietly ambitious. The group’s burgeoning success may soon signal a shift in contemporary R&B, which is to say that perhaps we may move on from minimalism and look towards exhibiting a more outward style of panache. Here, the silky stack of harmonies on the bridge is stunning – and proof that No Guidnce exude a delicious confidence in their abilities.
For fans of: Nippa, FLO
Where to see them: The Lower Third, London – September 18