Reggie: “Timing” is a perfect marriage of R&B vocals and production
In the world of R&B music, there is a void; an all-too-obvious lack of credible, intelligent music that so defined the genre in its heyday in the 50 years leading up to this decade. The R&B or Soul, of yesteryear was written by masters of their craft. Now what we are being handed–with a few notable exceptions–is a body work that lacks soul and meaning. Yes, you can dance to it, but where is the deeper, soulful meaning? Well you need to look deeper into the well, which at times may seem like a bottomless pit. But it is worth the attempt, because sooner or later you may extract a simple 6 letter name like ‘REGGIE’.
Reggie has freshly released his 10 track album, entitled “Timing”. From beginning to end, this is quality blend of R&B, Soul and Pop — some sultry, some soothing, some thoughtful, some nostalgic, but all worth listening to.
In general, I find it difficult to find a male vocalist today who delivers melodically, whose lyrics you can understand and whose lyrics, tempo, and sound are relevant to many, varied emotions and moods. Reggie delivers on all counts and should be counted as one of our top, upcoming performers.
Subtly hypnotic and mainly stripped down musically, these songs allow for Reggie’s voice to breathe, grow and dominate each track comfortably. And while this music is very trendy and real, the instrumentals and beats hark back to the golden era of R&B. Moreover what the ten tracks will demonstrate, beyond Reggie’s finesse and sincerity, is his understated intensity and ease with a variety of styles and subject matter.
From the opening, reflective piano-driven “Timing A Dream Deffered” (Prod By. TheGhostTrainCo) to the jangly guitar groove of “Sing No More: An Ode to Marvin, Luther, Teddy and MJ” (Prod. By Taylor King). Then onto the electronic-inspired eclectics of “4:35am” (Prod. By Dylan Garcia), or the fully fleshed out production of “All My Xs” (Prod. By Accent Beats), Reggie’s skillset showcases his ability to cover all the angles.
And then he leaves the best for last, with the album’s most outstanding tracks “Human Nature” Ft. Shah Infinite (Prod By. DKingThaMac & VeDai) and “Lonewolf” (Prod. By Gerry Retro) coming up near to the close.
There’s one key element all great R&B albums have in common – a perfect marriage of vocals and production. “Timing” layers Reggie’s classic melodies and harmonies over adept, on-key instrumentation. The result is a sound that is a perfect showcase for his voice.
Throughout the album Reggie offers blunt honestly and street sensibility to the lovelorn. He’s like a reformed corner boy who has gone through it all and is willing to share his wisdom with the rest of us.
Face it, R&B has seen its brighter days. It’s been cooling off considerably for years and 2017 marks some of the lowest commercial numbers for one of my personal favorite genres of music. Reggie promises to be one of those more soulful artists in the game, able to straddle classic R&B in a contemporary setting.
It’s not an innovative affair, but for a specific reason – in a time where so many R&B artists have gone electro or straight pop, Reggie stays true to the golden age roots of the genre, and ultimately benefits from doing so.
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