War & Leisure is an album with a generous helping of highlights, not least because of Miguel’s enviable vocal versatility and affinity for dramatic songcraft, an irresistible combo that sees him playing both hero and villain in his own fantasy.
That’s something Miguel has always done, sonically speaking. And he always sounds amazing doing it; that hasn’t changed on War & Leisure.
As he does with his assortment of expensive-looking robes, Miguel wears War & Leisure’s looseness well, and even if he doesn’t reveal much of himself, he still has the charisma to pull the whole ensemble off.
On War & Leisure, he sounds unconflicted and ready to rumble. The freedom he promises his lovers in his music extends to himself, and he’s better than ever at just letting go.
War & Leisure is a coming-of-age record for the multi-talented Miguel. It suggests his songwriting will still be relevant once the screaming has stopped.
He’s solidified a definitive Miguel sound that contextualizes past efforts: the fuzzed-beyond-all-recognition guitar riffs, subterranean bass synths, and drums that feel like they’re being aurally clotheslined, setting a fierce foundation for saintly vocals.
The 80s are writ large on War & Leisure, which cribs its musical ambition and expansiveness from that era’s pop, rock and soul. Our troubled times are never far away though, as the Grammy-winner newly into transcendental meditation swaps his raunchy default for loftier themes.
Taken as a whole ... War & Leisure is less of a stylistic about-face than it is a subtle and deliberate course correction.
Though he enthusiastically pushes the boundaries of his sound and image on his most eclectic album yet, Miguel also takes care to make each of its tracks insatiably catchy and breezily fun. It's a shame that the release date falls only a few short days after we published our Top 10 Soul and R&B Albums of 2017 list — War & Leisure would have surely snagged a spot.
For all the conflict imagery, War & Leisure is often brightly colored, even upbeat.
Rather than sounding like a BBC news anchor has entered the bedroom, with War & Leisure Miguel strikes a balance between the political and the personal.
Too much leisure, not enough war.
The conscious elements make up a small enough portion of War & Leisure’s runtime that they’re irritants rather than dealbreakers, and the record’s ultimately easy to enjoy.
So, this album is 10.5 Sex bangers, half a song of J Cole being deeply prescient, and then there’s Now. Now is just a fucking masterpiece. Great album, sex bops for days, anointed is a special kind of sacrilegious sex bop and boy Miguel has just about infinite potential. Time to dive into Wildheart soon.
Honestly this is pretty good. The only things that I wish were different is the final stretch of the album is a little weak, but other than that I am impressed.
1 | Criminal 4:34 feat. Rick Ross | 82 |
2 | Pineapple Skies 4:41 | 82 |
3 | Sky Walker 4:19 feat. Travis Scott | 88 |
4 | Banana Clip 3:21 | 84 |
5 | Wolf 3:29 feat. Quin | 70 |
6 | Harem 3:13 | 69 |
7 | Told You So 3:10 | 78 |
8 | City of Angels 4:18 | 70 |
9 | Caramelo Duro 3:33 feat. Kali Uchis | 78 |
10 | Come Through and Chill 5:22 feat. J. Cole | 82 |
11 | Anointed 3:53 | 69 |
12 | Now 4:09 | 75 |
#8 | / | Associated Press |
#13 | / | Thrillist |
#17 | / | Rap-Up |
#22 | / | Entertainment Weekly |
#22 | / | FLOOD |
#33 | / | The Guardian |
#39 | / | SPIN |
#41 | / | Pigeons & Planes |
#42 | / | Complex |
/ | AXS |