Atlanta’s Tolen drives with a smooth sound and a conceptually self-aware writing style on this latest release. While there’s a simple and accessible sentiment On One – its hook being the main take away, that of contemporary hip hop and motivational, anthem-like ideas about hard-work and fate, there’s a slightly deeper underlying story-line that deals with the artist’s own journey towards success within the music industry.
The creative life follows pathways as meandering as the artist’s own writing habits, and this track encapsulates that. Both Tolen and Saint Crown deliver with confidence and determination, adding in pace and grit but never so much so that it takes away from the fluidity of the music.
In terms of character and being memorable, recognizable, the hook is, as stated, the main thing you walk away with after listening. It’s subtle, but those two notes across five or so words settle in with surprising weight – the tune lingers in your mind, and with that the sound of the artist’s voice, and the creative yet mildly melancholic bounce of the beat. A job well done on many levels. It will be interesting to hear where else the music takes Tolen.
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