real talk
‘To reword a popular expression, R&B/Hip Hop is like sex. When it’s bad, it’s still pretty good… as long as it’s not some “American Idol” freak with a recording contract and an eating disorder recording the songs.
Admittedly, this particular ray of the musical spectrum is not a forte of mine, but I know what I like – and I like this. If I could dance, I would dance to this. For now, I’ll just keep bopping my head up and down. It’s the only thing I have enough rhythmic capacity to do.
The two most prominent aspects of this album are the beat and the vocals, both essential elements in good R&B/Hip Hop. The two combine into that indescribable flavor that just makes you want to turn the bass all the way up and just bounce. It’s smooth.
The often overbearingly synchronic synthesized bass and bass drum thumps are not present in this album. Rather, “Real Talk” masters the techniques of songwriting that has been used to popularize recent albums by R. Kelly, OutKast and Mary J. Blige. It prides itself on strong yet equally restrained beats, well-written guitar riffs and the entrancing sounds of Hollister’s voice.
There is not a song on “Real Talk” that is even questionable. Each one stands on its own merit and could theoretically be pulled out as a single.rn
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