red_gregory

Next Level Charli: 8.2
Gone: 8.5
Cross You Out: 7.4
1999: 7.6
Click: 9.0
Warm: 8.2
Thoughts: 8.5
Blame It On Your Love: 6.7
White Mercedes: 8.6
Silver Cross: 8.2
I Don’t Wanna Know: 8.0
Official: 8.7
Shake It: 9.6
February 2017: 9.0
2099: 9.5

Favorites:

White Mercedes
Shake It
2099

My expectations for “i,i” were simple. I expected ambience to the max, off-kilter song structures and strong hooks. I didn’t expect to hear something coherent but I did hope for it. I pretty much got what I asked for without the coherence. Like 22, A Million, there are soaring standouts like Faith, which has a powerful digitized bass and epic build up not dissimilar to Creature Fear, only less folk more gospel. We is another favorite.

I can’t help but feel a sense of longing; a fabricated second-hand nostalgia for a time and place so disconnected from me. And for this, Omoiyari is both a narrative and technical success!

The melodies are great here, a strength Steve has in spades, yet when paired with his hypnotizing cadence over busy production, I have a hard time remaining focused on his words. There are obvious exceptions including Playground which has a well-arranged Prince inspired, quick and catchy hook. The groovy melodies on N Side as well are clear as day and I can’t express how brilliant and sticky Only If is.