Ryan Leslie - Transition
Reviewed by Mimo - November 3rd 2009
Ryan Leslie: singer/rapper/songwriter/producer (or overall musical centipede if you will) is a real multitasker who -- next to all of the studio time he has put in this year for artists like: Mary J. Blige, Fabolous, Slim and Jazmine Sullivan (to name a few) -- still has the time to deliver us his second studio album within 9 months of his self-titled debut "Ryan Leslie".
"Transition" as it's called is at first glance not that big of a transition from "Ryan Leslie" but more of a continuation in theme and sound, as many of the sounds Leslie used on his debut return in tracks like Zodiac, All My Love and You're Not My Girl, in Ryan Leslie’s case that is certainly not a bad thing.
There is however one major area in which the album -- like its predecessor -- seems to lack: the vocals. Mr. Leslie's vocal reach isn't sky-high as is obvious in Never Gonna Break Up. R-Les’ voice can even have somewhat of a dull or monotonous tone at times like in Something That I Like (featuring Clipse's Pusha T, the only featuring artist on this album).
Lyrically the album has its highs and lows so do not expect the world here but most of the lyrics do have some playful vibe to them at times, for example in Zodiac where he raps: "Tell me how you like it, say it threw your Sidekick, SMS, text me, Blackberry Bold".
The one true area where Ryan Leslie’s “Transition” shines is in its composition, with its bass-filled kicks, guitar licks, electro loops and groovy Motown sounds with some added funk on top.
Leslie's talent for production is the real dealmaker here as I Choose You reaches an almost symphonic high and with Sunday Night's beat as the cherry on top we can't help but feel that his honed style of production is like a breath of fresh air compared to the average that seems to reign supreme nowadays.
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