Compton bisexual singer-producer Steve Lacy seemingly struck gold on his debut Demos EP which featured sugary short lofi R&B tracks with some sweet guitar work. While that EP wasn't anything groundbreaking, it was enough to solidify Lacy as a voice to watch in the industry for me. Two years later, Lacy has dropped his debut album, Apollo XXI. Unfortunately, it played out just how I imagined...it isn't very good. I mean, it could've been a lot worse but there just isn't much here to latch on to. It feels like Lacy thinks writing a good hook means repeating the same phrase over and over again (N Side, Like Me). I also realize now how much the lofiness added to Lacy's music - with it gone, it feels like the authenticity is missing. But even still...this album is worth a listen, and I can probably see it growing on me as there's some nice instrumentation, vocals and hooks. Favorite tracks are Only If, Playground, Amandla's Interlude, and Basement. Worst track is probably N Side?
1 Bumps | Bump |
