Review Summary: Slick but sedentary...
One may be excused in thinking the cover art of
Still, what with her black leather Matrix-inspired drip and ensconcing herself in a room of mirrors, would signal some sort of intimate, explorative fare into the soul of the
real Erika. That her last two albums of 90’s influenced RnB tunes so sugary and saccharine you could drizzle them on pancakes were merely a product of a new artist building her audience to a point where she could start making the music she really wants. Alas no, that’s not at all what’s happening with
Still, an effort that will sound extremely familiar to those acquainted with Erika de Casier’s oeuvre. Described as a loose concept album about the stages of a failed relationship from the hot-and-heavy beginnings (Puppy Love?) to its toxic and messy end,
Still retains much of the understated depth Erika de Casier has made herself known for. The album’s twilight-tinged RnB stylings marry up nicely with a plethora of electronic fixings the artist has become known for but will it continue to work for the 3rd time in 5 years?
To answer that question, it actually still kind of does, although admittedly not for anything
Still is doing specifically and more what the artist has been doing specifically. Erika de Casier’s voice is still as coy and subdued as ever but mixed with the rainy noir vibes the music exudes take on a fresh new feeling that previous albums lacked. This feeling does wonders within the context of the album’s concept as well.
Still utilizes a noticeable tone shift from the beginning to the end of the album to convey the course of this doomed relationship, with the front half of the album having particularly bright and sunny instrumentals, especially with the one-two punches of “Home Alone” and “Lucky.” This mood reaches an apex with “ooh”, an excessively sweet depiction of the intensely joyful feelings coming with this relationship accompanied by an insanely catchy melodic hook that captures the intent of the song wonderfully. But by the time the aptly titled “Anxious” rolls around, the tone shifts. What was once a relationship full of exciting twists and turns has stagnated and eventually soured and the music does a good job conveying the switch. While mostly keeping with the tempo of the
Still’s first half, the album utilizes space and lower registered synths to turn the smoky beats somber, with Erika’s voice changing (very) subtly to match. It’s a simple effect, but one
Still actualizes very well when it’s all said and done.
The issues with
Still, much like its successes, aren’t a product of the album itself moreso than the artist herself. Much like previous albums, there’s a glaring lack of dynamism that chills Erika’s ability to connect in a deep level with her listeners. While musically very lovely, the vocals have almost no discernable range to them, lending to a pervading feeling that the story of this relationship is being read from a book rather than something Erika went through. The instrumentals progress similarly, with few tempo shifts and even fewer highlights or pieces to sink your teeth into, perhaps unfortunately relegating the release to slick study music. Despite these drawbacks,
Still is still a pleasure to listen to and a beautifully produced piece of work. And while this formula has not changed in any meaningful way. Fans will be glad to hear that despite the successes, Erika is Erika. Still.
