Sweet Limb

With a new year, we bring you new talent from the hottest artists, producers, and music industry executives from around the world. Presented below in alphabetical order are names you definitely want to get familiar with in 2023! Check out these artist’s new releases and make sure you add them to your playlist. - LA Weekly

Rising Texas musician Sweet Limb channels good vibes on mellow offering, “That Good Energy,” with unique sing-song spoken word delivery layered over a minimalistic soundscape of twinkling synths and quiet beats. Reminding us of those people who imbue us with positive energy in each interaction, the carefully crafted track pulls us in with its lulling soundscape, blanketing us with peace and calm.

Written about and for his girlfriend whom he met on Bumble just before lockdown in February, the hypnotic and uplifting R&B production reflects on the exchange of good vibes within its rich combination of poetic storytelling and Sweet Limb’s gentle vocals.

The musical project of rising creative Chris Robinson, Sweet Limb channels DIY artistry rooted in candid lived experiences and soulful instrumentals. Raised by a single mother and overcoming depression, independence and perseverance have formed the pillars of this emerging artist’s life and music.

Finding ways to fight through his personal struggles with the help of his gentle yet impactful musicality,“That Good Energy” establishes him as an artist to watch in Texas’ R&B scene as more of his emotive music awaits to be unveiled. - EARMILK

While we wrapped up this year’s collection of new releases, we browsed through playlists and selected highlight music that led audiences to the repeat button. From pop to rap and all genres in between, 2022 was a year of evolvement in the music industry, and independent artists were the focus. Featured on Lyric Select and Hip Hop Exclusives, we ring in the new year with memorable names in the rising artist category. - Thisis50

Sweet Limb is an artist with a focus on making music that explores the variety of the contemporary R&B scene with a retro twist. He has released a handful of well-received releases, including the recent work “fresh.” The latter showcases personal lyrics with vocals falling in between neo-soul and hip-hop; accompanied by experimental, yet catchy beats.

Sweet Limb is a natural-born storyteller, and the lyrics that drive his music are very compelling and personal. His new EP, “Vibes” deepens his formula, taking his artistry to a new level of charisma. The ambient track, “Ketamine,” explores his experience using medical ketamine infusions for mental health therapy. Using Sweet Limb’s characteristic smooth vibes, the song, “Dip,” is a vibe from start to finish. Meanwhile, “Kickstart,” is layered with thoughtful lyricism and deep meaning. “Straight Up” is a nod to all ATCQ fans.

The artist’s silky vocal flow works well with the instrumentals, locking in with the rhythm perfectly and creating beautiful synergy with the melodic parts. His work is highly recommended to fans of artists such as D’Angelo, Mac Miller, or Miguel, only to mention a few.

The EP exudes warmth, with an old-school attitude filled with boom-bap beats, vintage-flavored samples, and vocals that are up-close and personal. - The Hype Magazine

Rising Texas-based artist Sweet Limb has unveiled his new single, “That Good Energy”. The stunning new track follows on the back of the mightily impressive “Passenger” released in August and looks set to help continue the independent artist’s exciting ascent in the R&B scene.

Sweet Limb’s music journey began at the age of eight when he heard Michael Jackson, and he cites Frank Ocean among his modern-day inspirations. Influences of the latter can be heard on “That Good Energy”. With its mellow, hypnotic instrumental, the self-produced track immediately draws you in and keeps you hooked with its poetic storytelling and Sweet Limb’s captivating vocals as he sings about exchanging good energy, inspired by his girlfriend.

Elaborating further, Sweet Limb says, “‘That Good Energy’ is about vibes – good ones. I can detect bad ones within seconds of meeting someone. I think a lot of people are a good judge of character but I like to think I have a pretty decent radar. - Wordplay Magazine

Regular readers of my reviews here on OVRLD might not be aware that I have a deep love of indie R&B. Artists like The-Dream, Miguel and the Weeknd are among my absolute favorites for so many reasons. I love their smooth voices, beautiful melodies, slinky rhythms, and clever lyrics. You all don’t know this, though, because there’s hardly anybody in Austin performing this kind of music. That is, of course, except Sweet Limb on their new record, Songs for Women.

This minimal, smooth, kind-of-dark R&B sound seems relatively new for the group. On their previous release from earlier this year, Sunshine, Sweet Limb played a much brighter (if still mellow) folksy sound. Nothing on that record, though, suggests the texture on display in the lead off track on Songs for Women, “Good Love.”


“Good Love” starts with some sparsely programmed percussion, immediately placing it in the realm of modern indie R&B. This shouldn’t be surprising given that Sweet Limb named this record after a Frank Ocean song, but given the band’s history, this feels like a radical departure. After a few moments of scene-setting percussion, we’re introduced to the two other elements that round out the track – plain, acoustic power chords and Chris Robinson’s crazy-smooth voice. The track doesn’t progress much from here, but it doesn’t have to– its atmosphere is captivating.

The next couple of tracks on the record mine similar territory (sometimes replacing the guitar with a keyboard) to great effect. Soon, though, it becomes clear that Sweet Limb is still acclimating to this new sound of theirs. On “Care,” the acoustic guitar is overly bright, clashing with the spooky, reverbed percussion. “Don’t Hold Back” sounds too much like John Mayer over a James Blake-produced rhythm track. I get totally pulled out of the overly earnest “It’s True” when Robinson sings, “Think I saw you at South-By…” before describing a situation that could have happened any weekend at any major city in the country.


Still, in those first few tracks (and then sprinkled elsewhere across the record) you can hear a good supply of some of those characteristics of indie R&B that I find really appealing: Smooth voice? Check. Beautiful melodies? Check. Slinky rhythms? Check. The one real missing element is the clever lyrics. There’s nothing on Songs For Women as charismatic as Miguel’s “Quickie” or The-Dream’s “Yamaha.” Nothing here approaches the detailed perfection of Ocean’s “Novacane” or the dark realism of The Weeknd’s House of Balloons. Right now, Sweet Limb are testing themselves out in this department, and they have plenty of time to find their footing.

Ultimately, Songs for Women boils down to being a really good template for things to come. Sweet Limb are doing something that few others are attempting here in Austin, and I hope that they continue down that path. Our local scene will be richer for it…and I really just want some more indie R&B to jam. - Ovrld

The welcomed return of Sweet Limb this season brings an aptly warming trio of lounge-style originals, softly fusing jazz-cafe tones with mild-mannered rap vocals and subtle hints of melody, for the well-titled EP Vibes.

Starting things off is the lo-fi looping optimism and poetic revelations of a thoughtful yet uplifting Dip. Creative musicianship backs an otherwise familiar rhythm for a freshly-crafted backdrop, as our protagonist contemplates the moment in a stylish and seemingly carefree manner; though with occasional depth and longing. It’s an interesting start, rightfully easy to vibe to but also leaving a sense of uncertainty as to whether this feels celebratory or more like a callout on behalf of isolation.

Afterwards, reverb-soaked vocals emerge with familiarity and a smooth melody and intimate lyrical intention, as Ketamine (Feat. KG Robinson) furthers the lounge vibes of guitar and rhythm, and expands on the desire, poetry and emotion of the opener. Here we get a soulful, tired yet expressive delivery, and an atmospheric arrangement that increasingly envelops the listener in its softly passionate energy.

Again there’s uncertainty, the positivity and the pain walking in unison – the self-destruction and the embrace of escapism. This one is beautiful, over four minutes of provocative revelation beside a smoothly immersive groove. It injects (pun intended) an element of glamour into the darker side of socially connecting with other humans, and it gets the body calm in the process. A definite highlight, with fine bass and synth-work to top it off.

For the closing track, our now unmistakable vocal guide delves into a much more gritty social issue – backed by the same laid-back flavors but contrasting this with undeniable struggle and depth of intention. Still that delicacy of voice and production maintains its gentle approach, and as such, the subject matter reaches out with all the more poignancy.

A great way to wrap things up, leaving a lasting impression and prompting a likely return to the start of the EP; to revisit the true underlying issues that make up Vibes. - Stereo Stickman