Kevin Bronson on August 6th, 2022

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L.A. duo THEY. — producer-songwriter Dante Jones and singer Drew Love — continue to be one of the least predictable but thoroughly engaging acts on the R&B landscape, brewing up singles that pull from hip-hop, new jack swing and ’90s alternative rock, stir in trap beats and froth with silky vocals.

They hit it out of the park last month with “Comfortable,” which saw the duo bring aboard Pasadena singer Fana Hues on a song that Jones and Love pretty much describe perfectly: “Inspired by the essence of vintage ’80s sports cars and that era of sophistication, we wanted to make something that you could envision yourself listening to in an Alfa Romeo or a 300ZX that still had that R&B feel to it.” In short, watch the speed limit.

Arriving this week was the new single “Lonely,” which has more a typical West Coast feel. It features guest vocalist Bino Rideaux joining THEY. as the group puts their own spin on summer soul. “A departure from the darkness of ‘Blü Moon’ and ‘Comfortable,’ ‘Lonely’ has an upbeat, West Coast bounce to it, which is a vibe we’ve always loved but hadn’t really tapped into before,” the duo says. “It has this late-night kick-back feel, making it the perfect record to cap off the summer. We actually started this track with Bino in mind and we linked with him about a week after we made the record. He instantly knew what to do with it and in about 30 minutes he had his verse done and we knew we had something special. The song sets the tone perfectly for what’s coming next from us.”

In addition to their own work, THEY. have a couple of features on Wiz Khalifa’s new album, “Multiverse.”

||| Stream: “Lonely” (feat. Bino Rideaux)

||| Also: Watch the video for “Comfortable”