Review Summary: I don't owe you nothing, you don't owe me nothing. Know what I'm saying?
Album titles are known to occasionally draw listeners into checking the music itself. Take the extremely relevant album,
Yeezus for example. Publicity and advertisement for the release is through the roof due to the fact that it could possibly be a mockery of one of the most practiced religions since the beginning of our time. Sure, the album could be a gimmick (or on the flip side an acclaimed masterpiece) but the fact stands that it brings in listeners which should be a goal of any musician who wants to spread their art globally. Normally recommendations from friends or critics precede album covers (artwork) or what the album is named itself - but every so often when hit with a drought of fresh and unique sounds fans of music will check out practically anything that throws up a few colored flags to get their new fix. Heat Wave's
I'm ***in You Tonight doesn't put up one or two flags, but an entire array - and follows up with throwing them all in it's audience's face at once. The title holds such a direct and blatantly aggressive yet somewhat jesting impression upon the public that it's almost impossible to not want to check out.
The album opens with a welcoming tone in contrast to a perception of anger or spite that the word "***ing" usually derives and it's almost immediately understood that "***ing" is missing the "g" for good reason due to how smooth and relaxed it feels. Heat Wave invites the listener in with a deep incomprehensible voice that slowly fades away accompanied by various crackles and a lush loop that has the power to mesmerize it's audience within the first thirty seconds. Wind chimes start to echo in and the noise levels of various instruments are brought up and down with a in sound to supply a unique psychedelic listening experience that would take an ample amount of time to replicate. Very reminiscent of any screwed Houston mixtape you would find in Texas (i.e. DJ Screw, Michael Watts, Swisha House) but much more interactive and enjoyable which boosts the replay value tremendously. Down the line out of left field Heat Wave drops an absolutely gorgeous melodic vocal line that carries the piece for a good five minutes. Within those five minutes (and the next twenty eight) the entire atmosphere becomes Heat Wave's playground to tinker with and put his stamp on. Melodies are stopped, compressed, repeated, cut, reversed, sped up, spun. Bass lines sneak in and provide the perfect groove to vibe behind the vocals. Chimes are scattered perfectly throughout - providing just the right amount of psychedelia to where it doesn't become too overbearing. Tin sounds are dropped in the strangest (but best) tempos and synths are put in the absolute perfect spots to illuminate the music entirely. The whole thing just has this incredible amount of bliss and it's engulfed with so many ideas at first it may seem as though all it possesses is a great amount of repetition, but when examined closer with a keen ear it's very apparent that although minute changes are being made it's these additions (albeit small) that really stand out and give the tape such an unprecedented/unique sense of musicianship.
I'm ***in You Tonight is soulful, sexy (in a lighthearted way), funky, warm, flowing, tropical, drugged, liquidy, and even comical in a strange kind of way. Despite all of this, even these these descriptions don't provide enough justice to depict what the artist here has created. Perfect to relax, sleep, and yes - even *** to, it's an overlooked and unparalleled testament to the incredible images and emotions we're currently able to depict through sound all while having a great amount of fun.
