Xaatu’s production on “Red Light District” sets the scene, and it’s a moody one. Right off the bat, Newy Gee’s "The Shady Lady Motel" announces itself as an introspective, dark collection of tracks.

This aesthetic continues on “Vacancy (Prod. By D V N),” with ambient sounds swirling around Newy Gee’s voice, which is earnest and focused throughout the track. This is the story of someone who is struggling with something:

I can’t get no more/they took all of me

I reach deep for more/I feel vacancy

It not only evokes emptiness, but also the sense of homelessness—vacancy, like a room in a motel. And this feeling continues throughout the entire album.

The most striking thing about "The Shady Lady Motel" is the subtlety of the production—every track has these quiet background noises, echoes of Newy Gee’s voice, distorted, haunting, that is reminiscent of Kendrick Lamar.

“The Curve” is probably the most interesting track, an ode to anxiety with a memorable beat. This is the sound of someone who is unraveling, who knows he is unraveling, but who wants to make art out of even the worst situation.

If you’re looking for something upbeat, you’re not going to find it on "The Shady Lady Motel", but if you’re in the mood to gaze into the abyss, Newy Gee will lead you to a deeply introspective place. On “Heal My Soul,” he is searching for a way to do exactly that. One only hopes that through the creation of art, he has possibly found a way.

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