Sunday, September 6, 2015

Daylight Savings Time by Jered Sanders

     In 2004 Kanye West released his mega-single "Jesus Walks" and man did this track take the music world by storm. The reason being, is that no mainstream hip-hop artist had ever confessed their faith so publicly or in such a hard-hitting and triumphant way, that the song actually left many people unsure of how to react. What really makes "Jesus Walks" so great, is the how vulnerable Kanye made himself by truly digging deep within to say something that he felt strongly about. Unfortunately, however, this spiritual outburst from West seemed to have been left in 2004, as his "Yeezus" image is his apparent focus these days.

     Though, there is one rapper who brought the same spiritual passion and fire that Kanye did on a singular track, to a fourteen song album; his name is Jered Sanders.

     Now, before fully diving into the review of Sanders' most recent album, Daylight Savings Time, do yourself a favor and listen to the first four tracks of his last project Sorry for the Delay, it's okay, I'll wait. Done? Perfect. 

     Why did I just ask you to listen to an older album when we're talking about a brand new one? Simple, to let you know how dope this guy is, if you're not familiar with him already, and also to make a point. In those four incredibly solid songs, Sanders displays his natural talent as he effortlessly floats over the beat, delivering entertaining one liners that will put the stankface on just about all listeners. Thankfully, these qualities and traits transferred over to this current album, but what there is something that is evident in DST that can't be found on Sorry for the Delay, and that's the thematic and focused in subject matter. 

     All throughout this album, Sanders consciously rhymes about his Christian faith in the unashamed manner Kanye once displayed. Even on his past work, Sanders wouldn't mind speaking about his God, but he also wouldn't hesitate to curse or veer off on different topics, but not on DST. The lyrics are clean, powerful, and substantial in meaning. This doesn't make the album a Christian Hip-Hop project, rather, Sanders is a Christian making Hip-Hop, which makes the project a lot more relatable and universal.

     Not only that, but one of Sanders' best characteristics, is his delivery. Anyone can write the gut wrenching lines listeners adore, but the rappers that stand out, are the ones that can enunciate, manipulate, and stress certain syllables of words to give those compelling bars value. Take the track titled "Collection Plate Freestyle" for example, Sanders drops hard line after hard line, but his fluency is what keeps the track flowing and allows listeners the ability to kick back, relax, and admire his craft.

      In terms of the production and beats, Daylight Savings Time hits that one out of the park as well. The one responsible for that is producer Analogic, the extremely talented artist who has worked heavily with Sanders in the past, proved that this duo is deserving of every one's ears.

     It should be noted that this project is a lengthy listen, but listening to it in its entirety makes the listening experience that much better. That being said, this album puts me in a very sticky spot. After repeated listens, I've been struggling to find any meaningful flaws, making me sound like a "yes man" towards Sanders, but this album really is something special. It is a huge progression from previous works, and the content of DST is an entire album of "Jesus Walks." That's huge. Hopefully, people take notice of this, as it's a bonafide nine out of ten hip-hop album. Jered Sanders is something special, and all it will take is one listen of DST and that will be clear to everyone else.


Itunes Link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/daylight-savings-time./id1027663329

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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.

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