Review Summary: Light me up, because I like the way you burn...
Jayy Von Monroe (Jeremy) has always been regarded as the sane (and only remotely talented) member of Blood on the Dance Floor by a multitude of people; so when he dropped news over a year ago via Alternative Press that he was releasing a solo record, people's expectations were somewhat high. After multiple delays and two re-recordings, we have 10CMD; a laid-back, trance inspired affair that never jumps too far beyond catchy but is consistent enough to provide for an entertaining and energetic listen.
We open with "Leo", arguably the best track on the album; Showcasing Jeremy's vastly improved vocals with a well controlled falsetto juxtaposed with airy synth lines, space-like arrangements and a house influenced backing beat. He displays his penchant for crafting catchy arrangements, but despite all his improvement he never strays out of his comfort zone. He only reaches the heights of "Leo" again on the banger house track "All I Want" in which he drops any attempt at experimentation to produce a straight-forward clubbing hit in the vein of acts such as Krewella and Zedd. The production is air-tight; every beat is well placed, the synthesizer lines are all slick and his vocals are mixed well, unfortunately the bass is underutilized throughout.
The lyricism is your standard romance inspired affair; talking about the tribulations of relationships with some entertaining metaphors thrown in here and there courtesy of Jeremy's spunky attitude. His vocal range has expanded to include the previously mentioned falsettos that are relatively common throughout the album; he's ditched most of the spit-fire rapping that permeated his work in Blood on the Dance Floor to focus on singing, with the exception of "Welcome To Your Funeral."
Overall, this is a very solid first effort and hopefully not the limit of Jeremy's creative potential; Now that he's stepped into his own, all that's needed is to let loose and step out of his shell even further. With a little work, more experienced producers and perhaps additional input from various artists in the field, JayyVon could become one of the next big names in mainstream electronic music.
