Black often takes on a negative connotation, inducing thoughts of fear, anger, and evil, to name a few. BlackLoveAlbum takes away that false ideology & exposes the myths embedded within to shine light on the beauty, goodness & strength of the color Black…Black is only Blue, Yellow, & Red after-all.
This project from 1stPlace Poe’t comes through as something of a cinematic exploration of sound and stories. The music exudes vibrant energy and positive thoughts, and all the while it appears soaked in history and realness. The sound is all at once classic and fresh, taking a touch of inspiration from some of the earliest hip-hop and R&B offerings, throwing in more than a few dashes of modern life and individuality.
The title track is a pretty effective representation of the energy and drive that makes up the extent of the album. The music has the brightness and character of a powerful soundscape in itself, then on top of this you get these varied, collective vocal performances, each and every one of which is glowing with unwavering passion and soul and integrity. The music is uplifting, as are the performances – even without language you can feel the urgency and inspiration in the sound. Then when you do pay attention to those words, of which there are so many, there appears an abundance of ideas to consider and reflect upon.
The project is extremely eclectic, a single genre label doesn’t cover it, and we shouldn’t expect it to. There’s a multitude of melodies and unique instrumental moments. There’s an immeasurable level of character and a similarly unstoppable level of story telling. A single listen is far from enough, it’s the sort of album you need to take home and spend a little extra time exploring. The pace is intense and there’s structurally so much to appreciate. The smoothness, the soul, the energy, the authenticity – it all makes for a powerful listening experience.
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