FONE CULTURE

Just when I thought I was done with the album as a format... first Jazmine Sullivan releases an entire record of even quality, and now this: Ryan Leslie's Ryan Leslie. Leslie calls all the shots, playing the instruments, writing the songs, producing the whole thing right up to the edge of slick. I particularly like his synth sounds, like the Clusterish bubbles on "Just Right." "How It Was Supposed to Be" is just a great piece of writing - and when the George Michael-esque video for it adds distorted guitars the track really seems to take on a whole new power. I love that "Gibberish" is the single: a lot of songwriters start out with nonsense vocalizations when they're working a track up. Leslie decided that the vagueness in his gibberish guide vocal had the right amount of sexiness and mystery, threw an autotuner on it and put it out as is. Great call. The modulations on "Quicksand" are sick and I bet this track kills live, especially the synthed-out bridge.

Ryan Leslie "Just Right"


Ryan Leslie "How It Was Supposed to Be"




HOW IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE from geedub on Vimeo


Ryan Leslie "Gibberish"


Ryan Leslie "Quicksand"