Following in the steps of her on-screen boyfriend Drake, Degrassi star Andrea Lewis has ventured into the music world with her self-released second album, "54321". Every song, with the exception of one, was written by Lewis who makes the album a personal story telling that hits its mark with anyone that presses play. The album showcases immense vocal talent in songs that are both beautifully and well written. She may not be as famous as Drake, but Ms. Lewis did the right thing by releasing material that deserves to be heard. What is better is the fact that it's available for free on her website, thosegirlsarewild.com.The album begins with an intro, "Heroes", that leads the project in a good direction. Even though I would not classify it as a song, it is sung beautifully. It is early proof for the listeners that the album will be filled with amazing and soft vocals. The first official track is the jazz/R&B influenced "VooDoo". Even though the track is filled with fast, loud beats, it does not take away from the beautiful, soft, and deep vocal performance provided by Lewis. The song is the only one that steps out of the direction the rest of the album travels, but it does not stray too far to lose any cohesiveness. The song is enjoyable and done extremely well. "She" is a track that packs a lot of sass and attitude directed towards another while still being able to sound sweet and innocent. The song progresses nicely, never losing the audience. The beats and production compliment the lyrics and vocals in a way that makes the finished product a success. The highlight of the track has to be the chorus which comes off at a faster pace to take the song to a whole new level. The lyrics for the following track, "Robot", contain so much meaning that the listener won't help but feel some compassion for the artist. The vocal performance is near perfection again which makes the song a good one; however, I do not think it is of the same quality of the tracks that preceded it. It is not a step back because the song does pack a strong punch and many will like it, it's just not my favorite off the project. The track "Rain Drops" sounds like it should be playing on R&B radio stations right now. The tracks comes off edgy and modern with every component coming together to create a really special tune. Towards the middle, a guest rapper, who I think may be Andre 3000 of Outkast, puts out a performance that give the song a little something extra to keep it from being boring. The song is a different sound that works for the album. The album continues with "Conquerors". The song is a slow, ballad type that allows Lewis to show everything that she has to offer. When she sings the title of the track, she is able to hit a note that blows me away. The voice that is present is really what makes the song a true gem. My one problem with it though is the time length. At a little over two minutes long, I do not think it gets the justice it deserves, so much more could have been done with it. The highlight and best moment of the entire album comes in the form of "Talk To Me". The heartbreaking song will get an emotion out of anyone thanks to the amazing lyrics, but more importantly, the vocals from Lewis and featured guest, Simon Curtis. The song takes the form of a duet which really shows in the second half where both artists put on amazing performances with vocals that compliment each other. Emotion is felt which makes the track memorable. The album take a break with "Point of No Return (Interlude)", an instrumental track that shows good musicianship, but seems pointless. "Linda" is a song that carries a message of not being able to compete with the other girls in a man's life. Lewis allows her vocals to flow nicely in a tone where one would notice that she is truly hurting on the inside. Any artist would have killed to get their hands on this material, but the original lyrics go well with Lewis as she knocks the song out of the park to become another favorite of mine from the album. The album finishes off the "actual" songs with "Fool Of Me". The song is another good one that I commend Lewis for, but I do not think it has a strong enough punch to close the album. It will be forgotten when placed along with all the other tracks on the list, not the best way for listeners to remember your work. The track isn't bad, I enjoy it, but I feel like it was a filler that should not have been left to the end. The album officially closes with "Back To Life", an outro that is completely ridiculous and unneeded, but I guess since the album was released independently and for free, I should not complain too much. The album deserves high praise for the vocal performances alone, but the material is new and something that will relate with any audience.
"54321" is one hell of a job well done on Lewis' part. She was able to release an entire set of songs and call it an album that was crafted well with amazing vocals and self-written lyrics. The album is an open book into her life which helps the tracks from becoming throwaway pop. Since the album was released for free on her website it may not be getting the attention it really deserves, but for anyone that was smart enough to download it, they will not be disappointed. This is evidence for a promising future music career. For amazing performances, catchy songs, an unfortunate short track list, and a pointless interlude and outro, the album receives an 86%.
Tracks to Hear: "She", "Talk To Me feat. Simon Curtis", and "Linda"
0 Yorumlar