All posts tagged 'contemporary r&b'
Skin // Joy Crookes
Weaving larger-than-life arrangements with razor-sharp yet feather-light lyricism, Crookes sits as the centerpiece of a kind of big band pop.
Græ // Moses Sumney
Emotionally vulnerable and creatively restless. The record plays out like a prolonged stream of consciousness, yet every aspect seems carefully constructed.
It Is What It Is // Thundercat
Thundercat rides the album like a surfer hanging ten on the world’s smallest, smoothest, slowest wave. It’s drifting with style, an uneventful good time.
IGOR // Tyler, the Creator
Tyler plays against his strengths and manages to push himself to make a good non-rap album. That in itself is pretty fucking fascinating.
Ventura // Anderson .Paak
Ventura is super consistent hip hop experience, but we can’t help but wonder what might have been achieved with the safety wheels off.
When I Get Home // Solange
When I Get Home feels like neither a continuation nor progression from its predecessor. Here Solange’s airy delivery is empty rather than angelic.
Hive Mind // The Internet
The record stagnates into a smooth R&B mood, though admittedly a rather lavish one. It’s frustrating to hear an album so content with being unrefined.
Dirty Computer // Janelle Monáe
As enjoyable, sometimes euphoric, as Dirty Computer is, it’s far from perfect. Some of the trap-tinged beats will likely sound redundant in a few years.
Flower Boy // Tyler, The Creator
The album’s craft is a pleasure to experience, luring one's attention rather than commanding it. Listens through have the sensory, slow-motion quality of a dream.
Drunk // Thundercat
Thundercat doesn’t want to exhaust an idea, getting in and out of a song as soon as possible, but that doesn't keep the album from being exhausting.
"Awaken, My Love!" // Childish Gambino
The album boasts a lush, colourful sound, drawing from elements of funk and soul to create an impressively modern vibe. It's just a shame it's so cartoonish.
A Seat at the Table // Solange
An extremely smooth ride with no turbulence or unnecessary distractions, full to the brim with colourful instrumentals and warm, comforting Solange vocals.
channel ORANGE // Frank Ocean
Shifting smoothly from ’90s R&B to psychedelic funk, Channel Orange is a liberation that Frank Ocean experiences as an artist as well as a man.
Blond // Frank Ocean
Blond flirts with indulgence but just about manages to stay grounded. It’s an account of slight thoughts, vague ideas, and delicate musings.
Blood // Lianne La Havas
For all the merits of Lianne La Havas’s thoroughly lovely and dynamic voice, the album ultimately comes across as lopsided and a little flat.
To Pimp a Butterfly // Kendrick Lamar
If Good Kid, M.A.A.D City introduced Kendrick Lamar to the masses, To Pimp A Butterfly cements his place in the hip hop hall of fame. This is an instant classic.