Monday, June 8, 2015

Good Intentions by Sincerely Yours


     Music is universal, plain and simple. Certain songs, artists, and albums have their purpose for each individual that can vary day to day based solely on a listener's mood. Sometimes, however, people will want to hear something new and fresh; something that differs from what they're used to. Something they themselves find and enjoy, almost like a hidden gem. If any reader out there thinks that their feelings toward music have been accurately defined in anything previously stated, then give Good Intentions by Sincerely Yours a listen, because this may just be exactly what you're looking for.

     To quickly introduce Sincerely Yours, he is a hip-hop artist based in the Chicago area. He's not a veteran within the industry, but by no means is he a rookie. He's got a fluent delivery and firm grasp on how to structure a hip-hop song. He isn't your cliche' radio rapper, nor is he a politically conscious underground emcee. He simply makes quality music, and in this case, a quality album for people to enjoy. Now that the formalities are out of the way, let's jump into the review of his project Good Intentions shall we?

     In terms of the production, Good Intentions excels and that can be attributed to the album's majority producer (minus one track), Slot-A. The thematic and cohesive sound from all of the instrumentals is something that truly elevated the overall listening experience of the record. Slot-A's style is fairly versatile, for it's not necessarily boom-bap and it's definitely not sample heavy, rather, it it is somewhat of an infusion of many styles creating for a very well-put together tonality.

     To single out a track that had exceptional production, I'd like to point to the track "Everything I Love." This song just seemed to have a great deal of components in it, in regards to the production, and the entire beat sounds somewhat unblemished. There really aren't any negative things to say when it comes to the beats. The production work on Good Intentions is possibly some of the most efficient work I've heard on an album this year, because it didn't steal the show by any means, though, it did elevate the product's comprehensive value by having a tight-knit, unified, and uptempo sound that matched well with the artistic style of  Sincerely Yours. 

     Speaking of Sincerely Yours' artistic style...what is it? Well, he's an everyman rapper because his lyrics are very relatable, dynamic, and charismatic. All throughout this album, listeners should notice his versatility as a lyricist, for he speaks on a wide range of subjects that range from his own personal thoughts and challenges, to something as simple as to why he thinks life is great. Additionally, Sincerely Yours displays his ability to spit these varying lyrics  at an array of tempos, though he particularly blew me away on the previously mentioned track "Everything I Love" where he delivers his intelligent lyrics at an uptempo and articulate pace, which brings me to my next point; his delivery.

     This may have been one of my favorite aspects about Sincerely's craft. All too often rappers will exhibit clever and proficient lyrics, but they can't seem to deliver their words in any way that is even partially euphonious. Nonetheless, Sincerely Yours makes sure everyone know that he is a well-rounded rhymer that doesn't seem to have any noticeable holes in his arsenal...on this album anyways.

     Seems like the perfect album right? Well, not quite. My only gripe towards Good Intentions, is the lengthy listening experience. This usually is never a problem on a ten-track album, but this is the exception, for almost every track is upwards of three minutes and there are even a few in the four-thirties and one song that's five plus minutes. This doesn't mean that the songs are bad, just that the listening experience is hindered due to the elongated tracks.

     Other than that, I can't find anything else wrong with Good Intentions. It's a fun album that has some quality tracks that sound best when listened to as an entire album rather than individual songs. Sincerely Yours is a very talented emcee and Slot-A killed it on the production. The record may seem to drag on a bit whilst listening to it, but stick with it, and Good Intentions will quickly be one of your favorite summer discoveries.


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Created in 2013, The Under-Cover Album Review strives to bring the world quality music, by quality artists. This motto will continue to be our foundation as we move forward in time.

-Vinny Sciascia, Creator & Operator