#te'von walker

[dachroof]

REVIEW: ‘Caution’ - Mariah Carey

best song: “Stay Long Love You"

worst song: "GTFO"

hon. mentions: “8th Grade”, The Distance”, “Giving Me Life”

The vocal confectionist kept it light in terms of frosting and sugar drizzles, which I think is a testament to the strength of these records as there’s still some very hearty, full-bodied, cake present. This album has the most potential energy of her more recent releases. The foundations of the songs are stronger than they’ve been for a while, and though at times she fails to realize all the harmonic, melodic, and climatic potential of a song — as on “Caution” — or she mistakenly leaves a feel good bop too underdeveloped (and therefore vapid and redundant) — as on “A No No” — she still manages to create a solid body of work. Ultimately, Mariah’s back in good form. She’s excited, and I’m excited about it. This is the most confident and comfortable she’s been in years and the material reflects it.

The sonics of this record place it in tandem with Erykah Badu’s ‘But You Cain’t Use My Phone’ and Lalah Hathaway’s ‘honestly’. However, this is more characteristic of Mariah than those two, which is part of the reason she sounds so much more at home than they did on their projects (and than Lalah specifically). ‘Caution’ is both ‘Butterfly’ and ‘The Emancipation of Mimi’ minded. This is ‘Butterfly’ in the world where “The Roof” and “Babydoll” are the album highlights, and more than meeting that task. The world where “Mine Again” and “Stay the Night” are ‘Mimi’’s. In their places we get “Giving Me Life” and “Stay Long Love You”, respectively. This is Mariah, as a more seasoned artist, further expounding on the idea she and Mary J. Blige introduced. Hip-Hop plus some SINGIN’ singing. What Mary J. did with soul vocals and emotional depth, Mariah did with ethereal pop vocals and compositional complexity. Mariah is in such good spirit and vocal shape here it’s reminiscent of 2005, the era her fans describe as her second prime. I’d go as far as to say the best songs on here sound like throwaways from that album, that is, they are comparably strong ideas though they don’t all execute as brilliantly (as “Shake It Off”, “We Belong Together”, or “Fly Like A Bird”).

Album highlight “Giving Me Life” is easily my favorite song. Slick Rick sounds quick and fit, and with as much wit as ever, and his verse feels like bumping into your uncle for the first time in a while and seeing he’s doing well in body and mind: It was a blessing. And the warm, stanky, groove Dev Hynes strokes out of the production with that fuzzy-like-a-bumblebee bass line makes it feel so Black, it’s a fellowship. Mariah is full on New York mixed girl here. We get the swag of hip hop, the attitude of an elusive chanteuse, and the hilariously hyperbolic and yet appropriate slang of Black LGBT folk (which sounds great on her as we know it’s authentic: she really talks like that and isn’t just adopting or co-opting the language for cool points). The other highlights include “The Distance” and the breezy “Stay Long Love You” which sounds like Harlem in the summer time, specifically Harlem summer 2004. The summer of “You Don’t Know My Name” and “All Falls Down” and “Yeah”. “The Distance” is a great feeling modern dance track, with a spastic bass line and anchoring drums that jump your pulse and get you right into a sturdy ass head bop. The strength of this record is definitely in the latter half.

I firmly believe the pre-album singles do this record no justice. “GTFO” specifically was corny, and lazily attempted to capitalize off of shock value. I imagine the conversation after it dropped being “Oh my god, Mariah is singing curses on a vibey song,” which may interest initially but the song is so weak it couldn’t even hold my interest until the end. To her credit though, Mariah did say the song was a just-for-fun record that happened in the spirit of improv and I think a post-album release, in similar vein to Beyoncé’s just-for-fun “7/11”, would have better communicated that to the public. It definitely should not have lead this album roll out. “With You” is similarly weak, but I think that’s due mostly to the fact that it followed “GTFO”. So hopefully, “With You” can find new life on shuffle in playlists as there is some compositional and emotional depth present.

Overall, this is a strong effort from Mariah. I imagine this album has the same energy as ‘Butterfly’ and ‘The Emancipation of Mimi’ because she, again, feels free. Free from the drama, and negative relationships both romantic and professional, and maybe even from negative self-talk. She’s in great spirits, she sounds good, she feels good, and that’s oozing out of the record. So even on weaker songs like “A No No” and “Caution” the fun cup runneth over so much you just want a taste, and so you join the soul train line to 2 step to the undeniable bops. More than the strength of this album alone, this album feels as though it marks a kind of return for the criminally underrated artist. Her voice isn’t as big and agile as it used to be, but her songwriting is as potent and interesting as ever. I mean after all, this is the writer of the American holiday classic “All I Want Is You”. She has 18 #1 singles for a reason: she knows what the fuck she’s doing. Be cautious, Mariah’s back and as good as always. 6.5/10.

Rate: 6.5/10

Dopeness Level: x8000

Lyrical Depth Level: x7000

Sonic Beauty Level: x7000

(Sonic) Cohesiveness Level: x7000

Style Level: x8000

...by Te’von Walker

[dachroof]

REVIEW: 'Honestly’ - Lalah Hathaway

best song: "won't let it go"

worst song: "don't give up"

hon. mentions: "call on me", "honestly", "y o y"

Lalah Hathaway's "Honestly" is comprised of jazz informed R&B vocals over hip hop arrangements and 8-bit sounds. A patchwork of melodic writing and spacious production, this album presents new obstacles for one of singing's heavyweights. She generally does well here, though at times the production doesn’t serve to highlight her expert vocalism (her phrasing and timing, clarity and robust texture). Sonically “Honestly" is very dissimilar to the R&B/Soul vocalist’s previous output. Which I’m sure is attributable to Tiffany Gouche, the newcomer who wrote and produced this record along with Lalah. Lyrically, the album revolves around a relationship, with songs about various stages of connectivity or the lack thereof between Lalah and a partner. Despite this, the writing offers no depth or detail. The vocals and production are very clearly the main focus of this project. The idea, it seems, was to outfit Lalah in a more modern sonic environment and to a degree this adds some youthful vibrance and lightness that serves Lalah well, at times though, the lyrical content is too young. So much so you could think you were listening to “Bust Your Windows” era Jazmine Sullivan instead of a 48-year-old woman who’s spent the last 27 years singing professionally (for comparison: Lalah’s older than JAY Z). This album is very clearly a sonic foray into a more energetic, fun-loving, and youthful sound.

The best song here is easily "won't let it go" it's the only song on the album that highlights Lalah's abilities as a vocalist and arranger. The airy and smoky harmonies swirl around the emotive guitar which is plucked with such intensity and precision it’s reminiscent of a clock’s second hand and the neurotic inertia of passing time. The dream-like soundscape is further served by the opening lyrics "Once upon a time". The production alone has the same emotional depth as your most soul-stirring Sam Cooke record, which it livens up with a trap bounce. The chorus is engineered exquisitely: the voices are coalesced, but not conquered, by vocal compression, and this serves to further elevate the song, ironically, by further grounding it. Though as good as the song is, it’s readily apparent that it could be even better had they substituted the platitude filled verses for some soul-bearing or story-telling. My biggest complaint though, is that they didn't milk those brilliant harmonies a bit more.

The worst song on the album is "don't give up". The song, with its incredibly trite and tired message doubled with Lecrae's banal and, mind-blowingly, lackluster verse -- which ends with the most unimaginative, and unimpressive, play on Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech legacy ("Keep that dream alive like you Martin") -- embodies the definition of skippable. In fact, the record as a whole would be better off if the track was deleted completely. It most clearly embodies the vagueness that holds the album's writing back. Frankly, it’s lazy much in the same way that "Heal the World" is. The inspiring song with no depth or thought. The chorus is a collage of empty platitudes plastered against vapid production. Who shouldn't give up? This is the time to make what right? I suppose we're to figure that out while holding our "head[s] up to the sky" as the chorus so blankly puts it. Not even Lalah, or "the universe" she talks to, could save this song.

Overall, "Honestly" sounds like Lalah is experimenting with new sounds, and though it isn't as spot on as Erykah Badu's venture into trap and hip hop arrangements (her mixtape 'But You Cain't Use My Phone'), I like it. This album sounds as though it was made because Lalah wants a bigger market share of the modern music landscape and I think it could have helped her do that if it was more inspired and authentic. The writing, or rather lack thereof, hold this album back the most. People of all ages experience romantic relationships with the kind of dynamics she sings of on it but the empty language used strips the songs of all depth. The over-emphasis on slang on some tracks reeks of pandering, which makes her seem older and more disconnected from the audience this album is clearly made for. In summation, Lalah dipped her toe into the waters of urban contemporary music with this record, it's weaknesses and strengths both bolster the point that should Lalah engage with this music more authentic- and artistically she could make something really special. She’s a more than capable musician and should she find the inspiration and connection musical exploration could prove both exhilarating and prolific. 6/10.

Rate: 6/10

Dopeness Level: x7000

Lyrical Depth Level: x6000

Sonic Beauty Level: x8000

Cohesiveness (Sonic): x7000

...by Te’von Walker