Phenomenal instrumentals here . So much depth in sound with great texture. Extremely underrated drum line throughout the album that is a cornerstone of jazz music anyways. I love that this album is not limited to brass instruments as the soft strings and woodwinds provide delicate aspect that makes the whole album feel grand. Dixon is not afraid to lean into heavy grungy sounds either with chromaticism, heavy bass and almost haunting melodies in songs like Mezzanine Tippin’ matching the ... read more

In honour of a legend this had to be reviewed...

This album is smooth. You can hear the jazz/funk influences (this is neo soul so duh) but its really cool to hear D'Angelo sliding across the walking bass in When We Get By or vocalise through Brown Sugar. Lyrically the yearning is strong in this one and the vocals don't distract from the gorgeous production and instrumentals but enhance them. The adlibs and runs are perfectly paired with the layered vocals so characteristic of the ... read more

Incredibly diverse sounds, each song bringing something new to the table. Production quality is amazing and the instrumentation is colourful in a way that transports the listener.

I love the mix of sounds in this. I hear lots of almost beach goth influences in tracks like Song for Dan Treacy specifically as well as unexpected jazz breaks in Brian Eno making for an interestingly diverse sound. Paradoxically I think some of the songs kind of blend together with not all being as memorable as the others. Definitely love the synths and overall colourful production throughout.

Pretty good at painting a picture with their lyrics, lots of imagery that makes for a fun listening ... read more

For how grand and loud this album is most of the instrumentals are pretty bare bones which is great because her voice in this album basically functions as another instrument. Lots of cowbells, 808s and the drum lines are the star of the show. Love the use of ‘random’ sounds like literal sirens which is very characteristic of Bey in this era. Love the bluesy inspiration that can lean into gospel at times. I do think there’s something about the quality of sound that could have ... read more