New York, NY (Top40 Charts) The terrain of modern day Hip Hop and R&B is rocky at best; with as many new entries each year there will almost certainly be those that are better than others and therefore more worthy of joining the ranks of those who consistently grace your iPod-Brentley, as (un) new as he may be (considering the volume of work he's put in thus far) is one artist whose music shows an interesting vitality in the face of so much stagnancy in the game right now. LXXXVI is his newest work and one that after a quick listen to previous projects, I was eager to review. So let's get to it.
" Underground" serves as the lead off for LXXXVI and touches on a couple of important points: the struggles he's faced as an emerging young artist and troubles with a formal record label. That he can do both effortlessly and with much style is impressive and where most artists would be pessimistic about their situation and filled with angst, Brentley is able to turn woe to triumph and raised my eyebrow at how well this song would be received at radio. It was almost as if he was proclaiming "no matter WHAT you throw at me I'm going to make it". This is one determined song.
"LXXXVI" is a conventional club banger and the instrumental has that same feel as Chris Brown's " Look At Me Now" and Trey Songz's " Bottoms Up" and has all that's necessary to make noise—the hook is solid, there's enough change to not be boring even for a moment—and a din I'm certain it'll make. Brentley's confidence is on full display here as he not only sings but spits a rapid-fire rhyme that only amplifies the mood to the stratosphere. I really like this song because it shows a command of the intricacies of a 'radio' hit that would get serious burn at many a mixshow. In all honesty I'd be surprised if this doesn't turn into a single; it's that thorough.
It's about this time that Brentley switches into crooner mode and while the beat selection is still top notch, it's evident he wanted to showcase his vocal ability and " Where Are You Now" is a perfect example of this: he unashamedly and candidly speaks on past relationships in a way that screams authenticity; there were several points in the song where the melodies combined and withdrew, creating a pushing and pulling effect that was as hypnotizing as it was harmonic.
" Something About You" took me aback as nearly all of the elements of the traditional R&B song go out the window in favor of a guitar-driven production more at home on the Pop charts than those of the Urban variety. This isn't a bad thing though; he's able to helm the change and be versatile in an arena that would be unfamiliar to most singers. Overall, LXXXVI is a very complete project replete with all the fundamentals in line: great songwriting, catchy hooks and believable hubris that only comes with a real understanding of what's at hand.
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