The Commercial Appeal - Go Memphis
Mature Miguel resurrects ‘Art Dealer Chic’ series
It’s been almost a decade since Miguel released the third of a series of “Art Dealer Chic” EPS, which he put out when he was in his mid-20s and his 2010 debut was still fresh. So his new “Art Dealer Chic 4” feels unrelated to its predecessors: Miguel, 35, is a music veteran now, and music has evolved.
Fortunately, “Art Dealer Chic 4” is a fine piece of work, a tight four-song compilation that makes good use of the Los Angeles singer’s textured voice in a contemporary mélange of genres. The hypnotic EP is driven by sex and romance from a guy who has been around the block a few times but still has plenty of fuel in the tank.
He’s both playful and naughty on the trippy track “Funeral,” boasting of his prowess in a psychedelic hybrid of
R&B and electro, claiming he just “slayed” a woman (wink, wink) and offering, “Send my regard to the mother and father.” “Triangle
Love” mesmerizes with a more explicit, more dangerous approach:
Miguel is caught up in the complicated thrill of having an affair with his best friend’s lover, the song’s surreal rhythmic flow leading to an expletive-laden conversation loaded with lust and anger.
The fantasy of “Thinking Out Loud” is more romantic, the arrangement nearly dissipating into the ether as he imagines getting high with his lover: “Let the world crash and burn, I’m down with it.” By contrast, the closing track “So I Lie” is the most complex piece on the EP – and most blatantly catchy, thanks to an irresistible hook. Here, a vulnerable Miguel attempts to reconcile his insecurities and self-destructive tendencies.
The years have been kind to Miguel, and here’s hoping another “Art Dealer” comes out soon.
Miguel
“Art Dealer Chic 4”
Rating:
4 (out of 5)