Thursday, March 15, 2007
Speeka - Bonfire
Matt Smooth and Rob Mac are back with their second album under the alias Speeka and it makes me wonder how they have time with all the other projects they've got under their belt. With the guys known more for their hip-hop roots than their jazz or funk, they take all those influences and turn them into a wonderful folk style album. This is a beautiful album that will have you wanting more after each play. My copy arrived in the middle of the postal strike, so I was able to give this album the attention it deserves. One of the catchiest tracks I've heard this year is "Better Inside", which has all the elements of a hit, if only the nation wasn't so obsessed with reality TV music shows. With a good balance of instrumentals and vocal productions, this will more than keep you happy through the dark winter months. Yet another excellent release from Wah Wah 45s.
Friday, March 9, 2007
Black i
With a strong electronic drum-n-bass groove throughout For You, Black I manages to infuse the brand of soul with which many of Omar's fans have fallen in love.
Lyrically, For You runs the gamut of expressing love and contemplating the meaning of life. On "Peace of Mind," the struggle for prosperity becomes a little daunting, so the singers hope and pray for relief. It's an emotion-filled ballad complete with rocking-chair-esque guitar licks from beginning to end. "Please U" is a mid-tempo track that elicits a smooth nod of the head with its flamboyant hip-hop-centric language. "No More" is one of the many cuts full of multiple elements from jazz to electronica to R&B. The live saxophone and trumpet compliment this cut very nicely. There's a female backing vocal with a texture reminiscent of underrated-R&B-singer Tweet's angelic tonalities.
Omar lends his vocals to the project on the remake of Sly & the Family Stone's signature song, "Family Affair." The track also features Kenny Whitehead, who was part of the R&B duo The Whitehead Brothers. Unfortunately, this number is nothing more than a glorified jam session amongst longtime friends. This version of the ultimate African-American barbeque classic doesn't bring anything new to the original recording. In fact, this cut is endemic of this generally strong album's one notable weakness: For You does at times come across a bit dated in its approach and sound, and is perhaps too traditional in its presentation of the neo-soul genre.
While not earth-shattering, Black I's debut album For You is a solid effort that the average neo-soul fan can enjoy, in the vein of music by such notables as Omar, India.Arie and Raheem DeVaughn. Displaying the artistry of Eric Brown and Michael Griot, it is a disc that works well in its precision and the artists' technical prowess, even if sometimes at the expense of breaking new ground.
Lyrically, For You runs the gamut of expressing love and contemplating the meaning of life. On "Peace of Mind," the struggle for prosperity becomes a little daunting, so the singers hope and pray for relief. It's an emotion-filled ballad complete with rocking-chair-esque guitar licks from beginning to end. "Please U" is a mid-tempo track that elicits a smooth nod of the head with its flamboyant hip-hop-centric language. "No More" is one of the many cuts full of multiple elements from jazz to electronica to R&B. The live saxophone and trumpet compliment this cut very nicely. There's a female backing vocal with a texture reminiscent of underrated-R&B-singer Tweet's angelic tonalities.
Omar lends his vocals to the project on the remake of Sly & the Family Stone's signature song, "Family Affair." The track also features Kenny Whitehead, who was part of the R&B duo The Whitehead Brothers. Unfortunately, this number is nothing more than a glorified jam session amongst longtime friends. This version of the ultimate African-American barbeque classic doesn't bring anything new to the original recording. In fact, this cut is endemic of this generally strong album's one notable weakness: For You does at times come across a bit dated in its approach and sound, and is perhaps too traditional in its presentation of the neo-soul genre.
While not earth-shattering, Black I's debut album For You is a solid effort that the average neo-soul fan can enjoy, in the vein of music by such notables as Omar, India.Arie and Raheem DeVaughn. Displaying the artistry of Eric Brown and Michael Griot, it is a disc that works well in its precision and the artists' technical prowess, even if sometimes at the expense of breaking new ground.
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