Think I just went to church.
Daniel Caesar is an R&B and soul singer/songwriter from Canada, and this is his debut album Freudian. Honestly, I was not really familiar with his work until very recently. I saw some hype for this album all over, and I haven't even heard of this guy. Looking into his work, he has a knack for very soulful and slow tunes, also every time I listen to him, he tries to put you in a world that's full of love, lust, pain, reflection, and acceptance. In this album's case, love.
Every song here uses the theme of love, whether it's lasting, lost, celebrating, or bellowing in the thoughts of Mr. Caesar. The album starts with the single "Get You" featuring Kali Uchis. Which already has a holy feeling to it. It does start the album out slow, but for a start, it's pretty fantastic. It has a nice funky groove that reminds me a deep 90's R&B track. Then you have a great feature from Kali Uchis. WOW, her voice is so nice.
One thing I especially admire about this album, is the gospel sound. It gives me a feeling of holiness, God, and being triumphant, when it's an album about love. It ties together these ideas sonically. Look at the track "Neu Roses (Transgressor's Song)", it has a fantastic chorus of people in the first half. The "ooos and ahhhs" like a barbershop quartet, it's beautiful. Then the second half becomes this funk groove that wins me over every time. The production is so nice and smooth, man.
Then we have the track "We Find Love", which is a jam so sweet I could see it in a commercial for jeans or cereal. It has this up-lifting gospel melody that just picks you up if you're down, or lifts you into infinity.
Oh man, but the song "Loose", is absolutely my favorite track. I love the soft organ keys with his stream-of-consciousness style of singing. The first half makes the feeling seem God-like, but the second half shows the other half, the regret, the sadness. I can imagine Daniel sitting in his living room, soul crushingly playing his piano.
In fact, from "Neu Roses" to "Blessed", this album is almost perfect. Aside from those, this album has a slow start, and a slower ending. "Freudian" has great production, but is easily not one of the stronger tracks here. The second half though, MAN. I love the organ and the haunting lyrics, but it makes me wish this was the track instead. But hey, it's solid for an outro, weak half or not.
The song "Take Me Away" featuring Syd sounds very nice, but is probably one of the most forgettable tracks on the album. The only thing that I really like is Syd's performance. She's become such a good singer recently.
"Transform" featuring Charlotte Day Wilson picks it right up after this though, smacking you in the face with some gorgeous soul, and amazing vocals from Daniel and Charlotte. It takes a minute to get there, but by the end of the of the song, I bet you'll be dancing.
I will say this about the album, the production has been done before, yes. This is not anything adventurous or different, but that's okay, because it's never trying to be. However, if you're a listener looking for something more musically interesting, this album will not suit you. But, if you're in the mood for something very emotional, epic, and almost holy, this album might be perfect.
Favorite tracks: "Loose", "Neu Roses (Transgressor's Song)", "We Find Love", "Blessed", "Transform"
Least favorite: "Take Me Away"
8/10
Every song here uses the theme of love, whether it's lasting, lost, celebrating, or bellowing in the thoughts of Mr. Caesar. The album starts with the single "Get You" featuring Kali Uchis. Which already has a holy feeling to it. It does start the album out slow, but for a start, it's pretty fantastic. It has a nice funky groove that reminds me a deep 90's R&B track. Then you have a great feature from Kali Uchis. WOW, her voice is so nice.
One thing I especially admire about this album, is the gospel sound. It gives me a feeling of holiness, God, and being triumphant, when it's an album about love. It ties together these ideas sonically. Look at the track "Neu Roses (Transgressor's Song)", it has a fantastic chorus of people in the first half. The "ooos and ahhhs" like a barbershop quartet, it's beautiful. Then the second half becomes this funk groove that wins me over every time. The production is so nice and smooth, man.
Then we have the track "We Find Love", which is a jam so sweet I could see it in a commercial for jeans or cereal. It has this up-lifting gospel melody that just picks you up if you're down, or lifts you into infinity.
Oh man, but the song "Loose", is absolutely my favorite track. I love the soft organ keys with his stream-of-consciousness style of singing. The first half makes the feeling seem God-like, but the second half shows the other half, the regret, the sadness. I can imagine Daniel sitting in his living room, soul crushingly playing his piano.
In fact, from "Neu Roses" to "Blessed", this album is almost perfect. Aside from those, this album has a slow start, and a slower ending. "Freudian" has great production, but is easily not one of the stronger tracks here. The second half though, MAN. I love the organ and the haunting lyrics, but it makes me wish this was the track instead. But hey, it's solid for an outro, weak half or not.
The song "Take Me Away" featuring Syd sounds very nice, but is probably one of the most forgettable tracks on the album. The only thing that I really like is Syd's performance. She's become such a good singer recently.
"Transform" featuring Charlotte Day Wilson picks it right up after this though, smacking you in the face with some gorgeous soul, and amazing vocals from Daniel and Charlotte. It takes a minute to get there, but by the end of the of the song, I bet you'll be dancing.
I will say this about the album, the production has been done before, yes. This is not anything adventurous or different, but that's okay, because it's never trying to be. However, if you're a listener looking for something more musically interesting, this album will not suit you. But, if you're in the mood for something very emotional, epic, and almost holy, this album might be perfect.
Favorite tracks: "Loose", "Neu Roses (Transgressor's Song)", "We Find Love", "Blessed", "Transform"
Least favorite: "Take Me Away"
8/10
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