Good vibes and mellow production connect in no time at all, the opening vintage melody and lo-fi tones of Star Spangled introducing the new album Before It’s Too Late, from Travis Michael, on a likably humble but catchy high.
The flow is smooth, settled in its confidence, the production in keeping with the study and chill playlists of today only with an essential twist of recognisable melody from the keys. It’s a clever way to blend the popular and the recognisable, and makes for a welcomed opener for an eight track project that consistently calms you down.
Reasons 2 brings the bass and nostalgic RnB details to elevate a more up-front vocal that seamlessly blends rap and melody throughout a story-telling and reflective journey. Travis has subtle character to his voice and indeed to the style of the music. Despite the project’s eclecticism conceptually, the mood maintains its appeal.
Figure Out 2 is a fine example – a deep-thinking highlight with fresh production in the distant vocal and effects, but a track with humble drama intertwined amidst a still mellow groove and melodic thread that stands tall at all times. After this, Piece 2 raises the volume with a heavy beat but juxtaposes that with ethereal layers of warmth and a spacious vocal leaving plenty of time to escape into the music.
Other highlights include the vastly streamed Float Again, a higher-energy outpouring of bars and a hypnotic underlying production. Then in stark contrast, Mile High Club smooths things out with soulful singing and an ambient, largely beat-free arrangement, which lets these ideas and honest revelations really connect; a personal favourite.
And to wrap things up, brightness and volume interject for the again dreamy but intermittently sharp and uplifting, distinctly creative Silver Lining. The drum-line and vocal story are brilliant here, another highlight and a great way to go out.
Before It’s Too Late is an album which, in its entirety, blends well the recognisable and the unorthodox, and presents a set of simple good vibes and intelligent conversations that work well to raise the bar for the current Rap and Lo-fi scene.
Find Travis Michael on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.
