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Drones
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Drones
Current price: $27.99
Barnes and Noble
Drones
Current price: $27.99
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Drones
,
Terrace Martin
's first album-in-name since
Velvet Portraits
, started germinating in 2016. Contrary to the perception that info might cause,
Martin
wasn't merely toiling away for half a decade on this loosely conceptual set. He steered the
Sounds of Crenshaw, Vol. 1
and
Dinner Party
projects, participated in
R+R=Now
, and in 2020 alone released a live LP, a crop of fine EPs, and singles such as the unflinching Black rebel anthem "Pig Feet." Add to that a seemingly full slate as a producer, sideman, and touring musician aiding artists ranging from
2 Chainz
to
Herbie Hancock
. If
should be heard as the follow-up to
, not as part of
's unceasing tear, so be it. Where the earlier album combined old-school R&B and traditional gospel, soul-jazz, and a little synth funk for over 70 mostly kicked-back minutes -- with
often emphasizing his piquant alto sax -- the comparatively succinct
is funkier, freakier, and ultimately more hip-hop.
Drones as a concept relates to the numbing and instant gratification-seeking effect of phones -- how the devices can drain emotion out of everything from a conversation to sex -- but isn't articulated in didactic or condescending fashion.
Kendrick Lamar
gets the point across with his bulletin on the bumping title song, which also incorporates
Snoop Dogg
Ty Dolla $ign
, and
James Fauntleroy
as if it's the work of a longtime vocal quartet. A section of more R&B-oriented material starts with
taking the lead on "Leave Us Be," a mellow L.A. travelogue and rebuke of oppressive authority built over a bassline that pops like that of
Boz Scaggs
' "Lowdown." Inside that sequence,
also extends a smooth downcast ballad like a tender revision of his own "Lies," gives way to a low-spirited
Arin Ray
, and cooks up a deceptively tricky and anachronistic groove -- broken beat from 1985 -- for a detached
Channel Tres
and dispirited
Celeste
to warn about surveillance. Another sequence later could occur only on a
album. It includes the regal instrumental "Griots of the Crenshaw District" (the album's equivalent to
's "First Responders"), built on scuffed drums and righteous interlocking brass featuring
Kamasi Washington
. After a pair of other highlights that switch with ease from heartache to resilience,
uplifts the congregation with a motivational message through his vocoder, setting up
Kim Burrell
to provide thoughtful spiritual solace on the finale. By the end, it's clear why
saw this as a special statement that required a little extra time to bake. ~ Andy Kellman
,
Terrace Martin
's first album-in-name since
Velvet Portraits
, started germinating in 2016. Contrary to the perception that info might cause,
Martin
wasn't merely toiling away for half a decade on this loosely conceptual set. He steered the
Sounds of Crenshaw, Vol. 1
and
Dinner Party
projects, participated in
R+R=Now
, and in 2020 alone released a live LP, a crop of fine EPs, and singles such as the unflinching Black rebel anthem "Pig Feet." Add to that a seemingly full slate as a producer, sideman, and touring musician aiding artists ranging from
2 Chainz
to
Herbie Hancock
. If
should be heard as the follow-up to
, not as part of
's unceasing tear, so be it. Where the earlier album combined old-school R&B and traditional gospel, soul-jazz, and a little synth funk for over 70 mostly kicked-back minutes -- with
often emphasizing his piquant alto sax -- the comparatively succinct
is funkier, freakier, and ultimately more hip-hop.
Drones as a concept relates to the numbing and instant gratification-seeking effect of phones -- how the devices can drain emotion out of everything from a conversation to sex -- but isn't articulated in didactic or condescending fashion.
Kendrick Lamar
gets the point across with his bulletin on the bumping title song, which also incorporates
Snoop Dogg
Ty Dolla $ign
, and
James Fauntleroy
as if it's the work of a longtime vocal quartet. A section of more R&B-oriented material starts with
taking the lead on "Leave Us Be," a mellow L.A. travelogue and rebuke of oppressive authority built over a bassline that pops like that of
Boz Scaggs
' "Lowdown." Inside that sequence,
also extends a smooth downcast ballad like a tender revision of his own "Lies," gives way to a low-spirited
Arin Ray
, and cooks up a deceptively tricky and anachronistic groove -- broken beat from 1985 -- for a detached
Channel Tres
and dispirited
Celeste
to warn about surveillance. Another sequence later could occur only on a
album. It includes the regal instrumental "Griots of the Crenshaw District" (the album's equivalent to
's "First Responders"), built on scuffed drums and righteous interlocking brass featuring
Kamasi Washington
. After a pair of other highlights that switch with ease from heartache to resilience,
uplifts the congregation with a motivational message through his vocoder, setting up
Kim Burrell
to provide thoughtful spiritual solace on the finale. By the end, it's clear why
saw this as a special statement that required a little extra time to bake. ~ Andy Kellman
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