Isaia Huron is an artist that I’ve been a fan of since hearing his album Concubania last year. Not only did the project showcase the artist’s vocal prowess, but it also combined smooth and groovy production with a tongue-in-cheek sense of self-aware humor that is rare among many of today’s R&B artists. The artist’s latest body of work, Mr. Lovebomb, is very similar in that sense, but differs in terms of narrative. Like many concept R&B albums as of late, this project takes listeners through the many stages of a relationship. However, this album flips the formula on its head by not only taking us on a journey through multiple relationships with multiple women, but unlike many R&B albums that share this concept and as the project’s name implies, the album’s narrative doesn’t paint its protagonist as the most emotionally reliable individual. Of course there are tracks such as wool and this girl wants everything that signify the relationship’s turmoil early on by placing the blame on the other individual’s actions. On that same note, there are also tracks like breakfast and matcha and propane that put our protagonist’s more toxic traits, such as being prone to infidelity, on full display. There are even moments of emotional honesty and self-reflection, such as on the track versions, that show more vulnerability on the protagonist’s part as to motivations behind his own actions, especially during scenarios such as arguments. (Think The Romantic by Bruno Mars, but way messier.) Even the way the lyrics in each song are sung has a sense of spoken word to it, almost as if its our narrator’s stream of consciousness rather than an R&B track. All of these qualities coupled with superb production and instrumentation, taking influence from the likes of funk, jazz, and neo-soul, to create these ten tracks and tell the story of its protagonist. This is definitely one of the most unfiltered, raw, and unique R&B records I’ve heard this year, and it made for quite the entertaining listen. Favorite Tracks: wool, this girl wants everything, wew, w.t.a., versions
Noah Robinson 