CD reviews
ACTION BRONSON White Bronco
THE King is back. For his first independent project in years, Queens rapper Action Bronson dialled up some old mates and had a party in a studio. Small asterisk: I have no idea if the above is true, but that is White Bronco’s vibe. And it can’t be a coincidence that the funky guitars, sassy saxophone and organs plus the classic, swinging, jazzy beats were penned by his longtime collaborators Harry Fraud, Party Supplies and Knxwledge. The result is a perfect sound for him. It avoids trends in favour of a flavour that’s unique in modern rap. On occasions he puts friends on the microphone and it fits just like the music in perfect harmony. Mayhem Lauren, his “cousin” Big Body Bes and genuine highlight reel A$AP Rocky — that’s a heck of a hat-trick. The things Bronson has always done well on the microphone are highlighted on the album. His pop culture references, tick. His braggadocios style combined with occasional humbleness and introspection, tick. He also juxtaposes sexy, smooth fun lines alongside an occasional serious point too, such as talking about feeling pressure and stress ( Mt. Etna). Tick. The “bronco” in the album title refers not to an actual horse but the idea of being wild and free: above all else, Bronson is the very essence of that. He’s a “Porsche 911 with a second engine”. Indeed.
AMERIE 4AM Mulholland and After 4am
R&B singer Amerie felt like the next big pop star when her hit 1 Thing ruled the airwaves. But the pop world is a cut-throat place and for one reason or another she never quite kicked on like I expected. It turns out that for years she has been doing all sorts of things, from beauty video blogging to writing kids’ books. Huh? Then, boom! Out of nowhere a double EP, aka an album, aka a project, aka it matters not what it’s called just how it sounds. And it sounds … drum roll … great. She wrote, recorded and engineered some songs here for herself, which is far more freedom than she would have ever been afforded in her major-label past life. So for long-time fans, this project is kind of Amerie Uncut, Raw & Unfiltered. Can’t ask for more than that. The moody Give It All Up is worth the price of admission with its gorgeous strings and piano. So is the dreamy, saucy Curious and the sparkling, crunchy ballad
I Remember Us. Stunning.