Review Summary: Moody electronic R&B
The internet can be an utterly strange place at times, but also a wonderful bridge to connect like-minded individuals for creative collaborations. The latter is the case with Always Never, a Toronto based duo that was formed in 2015 when Deen (producer) discovered the singer Patrick on YouTube and showed an interest in working together on a song. Three years after breaking the ice they released their self-titled debut album.
A core element of this album is the mysterious and somber mood created by Deen. Heavy use of synth bass and dark atmospheric keyboard tones are a staple of this duo's sound on the album. No songs represent this more than 'Wylin' and 'Worst', which are dominated by stretched-out bass notes while being juxtaposed by Patrick's frail vocals and interspersed R&B beats. The quality of the production shows that Deen has a good musical ear, it's not revolutionary but it has a certain maturity and spaciousness to it that makes it feel immersive. His beats are heavily R&B inspired, with the thin hi-hat and sharp snare tones being prevalent throughout, while most of the melodies are quite minimalistic yet dreamy. He could have been more adventurous with the music but it's possible he wanted to give more space to the vocals.
Patrick's voice has a youthful, almost adolescent sounding timbre to it. It's an acquired taste and can be tiring after a while, but when it shines it really shines. It sounds like there is some auto-tuning involved which is heresy in my books, but sadly it's much more commonplace in music now. He has the challenge of coming up with sullen yet catchy vocal melodies when at times there isn't much of a melodic reference point musically. He does this well in quite a few choruses that bring the songs to life, despite not straying far from his comfort zone. The phrasing of the lyrics is done well because it gives the vocals a smooth flow and rhythmic feel, which complements the overall vibe of the music.
More diversity in the keyboard textures, beat styles, and mood of the songs would have provided the album with a healthy dose of variation which would have given some songs their own distinct identity, rather than blending into each other. Songs like 'Morgan Freeman', 'Hopeless', and 'No Good', demonstrate the benefit of having a combination of a strong hook, tasteful melody, and up-tempo beats while 'Return to Sender' and 'Know This' bring nothing special to the table and feel like filler tracks. With a total runtime of 42 minutes this isn't an overly lengthy album, but trimming some fat would have benefited it. Despite this it still has enough good moments to give it a chance for fans of moody electronic R&B music.
Recommended Tracks:
- Wylin’
- Morgan Freeman
- Worst
- Hopeless
