Review Summary: on the way
The "alternative r&b" scene is almost entirely overrun by people copying the innovations of a select few brilliant artists. This wouldn't be such a problem if people would give credit where it is due, and try to be at least a little bit creative with their replications. An artist like Mike Milosh (now the sole remaining member of Rhye) resolves that, despite not inventing any new sounds. He isn't the spark setting the scene ablaze, but he is one of the members that has been burning for the longest, with solo work in this style tracing back to 2004, far earlier than it was cool. As a result, his music exudes expertise. His gorgeous voice flows with the instruments to a nearly inseparable degree, creating a series of incoming hills and valleys that feel beautifully natural, like a series of waves.
What this ends up meaning for
Blood is that, like most albums, its value lies in its ability to overpower your emotions, not its ability to amaze with new sounds. This is evident from listening to other important artists from the scene - fka Twigs, Frank Ocean and Jessy Lanza are obviously doing more than Milosh in terms of finding new directions to travel, but he's doing plenty to push the movement forward, even if it's going in the same path he's been on for years. Art needs people who will experiment as well as people who are willing to do the grunt work of the exploration. But even in terms of his own work,
Blood feels new.
Woman, while confident, powerful and charming, didn't tread the territory this one does. In both albums, there's a melancholy, longing song that really ties the album together. In
Woman, it was "The Fall," one of the best tracks of the decade but one that led to the rest of the album being a bit of a drag afterwards, a fatal flaw for a style that succeeds in terms of how effortlessly it slides through your mind. Milosh smartly puts "Please,"
Blood's counterpart, a few tracks later along the album runtime, which allows for further appreciation of the other sounds, and there are many. He flirts with nu-disco sounds in "Count to Five" and "Phoenix" (and especially on "Summer Days," the non-album B-side for "Always"), which, while not unexplored in his work, are still somewhat new tones for him. More importantly, they are ones that help a bit to put some bumps in the track that make the downward slide of the album a little more interesting. The strings and Venetian Snares-esque effects of "Sinful" certainly help as well, adding significance and drama to the affair, which it sorely needs.
Unfortunately, that same need for excitement is what really makes this album keep itself from truly excelling. The aforementioned waves are smooth, wet, and real, and it's hard to understate just how
pretty they are, but they're just not affecting enough. I hate to mention "Please" again, but the reason this record feels a bit empty at times is because that song feels so full. It's the only tidal wave of feeling in an album of emotional spray. As much as I would love for someone so good at creating this tide to make something truly superb, for an album about lust, love and longing,
Blood needs an extra push. Thankfully, based off Milosh's track record, an artist who has perfected so many skills and traversed so many paths, he's on his way there.
