Music Review of Lawrence Leon's E.M.O

One of my good friend's, who I often do personal song reviews for, made me aware of the artist I'm writing about today and I'd like to share it with you. I'm not a music critic and I'm not part of the Music Critic's Association... but I'm going to have fun and write like I am...lol

E.M.O, which was released today by upcoming R&B/Hip-Hop Artist Lawrence Leon, is the 1st solo recorded project by the Atlanta based artist. 

"Vices", the 1st single from the mixtape, was released in late February weeks after he put out a comical behind the scenes video teaser to build hype for the official video.

Though his comical and childlike persona shine through in videos, E.M.O, which stands for Emotional. Make. Over, is a ride into the mind of a young man recalling a past life filled with circumstances that may have stunted the growth of his inner child. In the song's "Oddball", "Pieces", and "MisadvenTUREs of Lawrence Leon" he covers a wide range of topics such as: failed relationships, struggling to fit in, battling sobriety, losing loved ones, and the miscarriage of two children.

Over the course of the mixtape, he fuses R&B and hip hop together so skillfully you often forget that you're listening to a new artist. On the song "Deadly Blow" he breathes more life back into 21st century R&B; and later put's a concoction of music genres into a blender with the song "Cross The Border" that will surely shake up any party.

If there are any drawbacks to the mixtape it would be the stinginess of music (10 Tracks) and most likely the few songs with rap alone, where it can often feel that he's still developing his sound. For the most part you'll be getting more of the creative energy that he naturally emits when he also blesses a track with his singing. If you’re looking to give your music library a fresh sound, Lawrence Leon is a suitable candidate to give your playlist an “Emotional. Make. Over”.

 Click Here To Listen To The Mixtape!

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For a Breakdown Review Of Each Individual Song Continue On Below:

Vices

The way he expresses himself in “Vices” makes you want to float away from real life with an "I don't owe you an explanation" relaxed type attitude. The style that he displays on this opening song is setting the stage of what you can come to expect from Lawrence Leon over the course of E.M.O.: Thick melodic vocals, innovative rap rhythms, creative song structures, strong storytelling, & somber content matter expressed contentedly.

Oddball

“Oddball” opens with the bridge and in it he sings in a very lullaby like way, "there will never be another like you...baby". When it comes back around at the end of the verses we learn that he attributes those words to his mother and later as words he will share with his children as they deal with issues of growing up and fitting into society. Combine the bridge with the hook and verses, not only do you have a carefully crafted song but a short coming-of-age drama about a young man fighting the world to find his identity who later finds quiet strength and self-confidence through the permissible words of his mother.

Turely Daze

A short song with a hard beat and banging baseline that transports you immediately to the climax of a horror film only to find out that the real killer is the the disconnected sense of sound radiating from this song being on the playlist. In my opinion it just doesn't fit. It feels like the artist did this song more to prove something to himself than to serve his listeners.

Smooth Interlude

Don't want to over analyze an interlude, it's definitely smooth though and set's the tone for the next track.

Deadly Blow

The moment the beat dropped I found my head nodding uncontrollably and halfway through I began thinking to myself that real R&B is still very much alive. He pours his soul out into a ballad filled with honesty and vulnerability that is pure enough to set a new standard for testing water samples. After listening to the lyrics over and over, anyone that has ever lost a lover to the natural ups and downs of a relationship will find themselves questioning if they loved someone the way he did. This 4 and half minute song could have lasted 15 minutes and I would have gladly tuned in the whole time but it eventually had to end...and that is the real “Deadly Blow”!

Pieces

Picking up where the last song ended and apparently the relationship that came with it, "Pieces" is that precise moment when your liquor kicks in, you began to feel good, you go to pour another drink, but then you realized you ran out. Likewise is the scenario about the relationship with his ex-girlfriend. On one hand they were reaching a good place and on the other...there she is, running out. In this song we're left with a confused Lawrence Leon attempting to sober up to this new reality with a shallow peace in his heart and his heart in pieces. Well sung story. 

Pills

This song isn't on my list of favorites. It's neither good or bad it's "just...just". However, being "just...just"...could almost be intentional when I think about the arc of the previous songs leading up to this one. After a bad break up and then later coming to an unsettled peace with his situation, this song leads me to believe he fell into a "just...just" emotional life cycle and found another vice to deal with the current state of affairs...”Pills”. The way the beat is constructed combined with the way the song is written and delivered; it gives off an initiation quality that attempts to hypnotically invite us into what his coping world of pill popping feels like.

Cross The Border

The only reason you wouldn't move when this comes on is because you suffer from paralysis. This song is unapologetically fun and “crosses the border” into being rap, pop, r&b, and techno all at once. Party Dj's should definitely have this one in their playlist queue. As far as the Emotional.Make.Over goes, this is a great segue.

MisAdvenTUREs of Lawrence Leon

If there was a silver lining to all the things that could break a person down the “MisAdvenTUREs of Lawrence Leon” finds it. Some say that everything you go through is for a reason...for him one reason could be to have the words written in this track. It is heartfelt creative genius that could serve as an instructional example in a song writing course. Verses with substance and a catchy hook will have you trying to sing along prematurely. This song proves you can be lost and found at the same time. If anything, I wish the hook played one more time and we had a chance to get lost inside a fading instrumental.

Playing Scared of Myself

“Playing Scared of Myself” has a hard body flow with a "this sounds familiar" sense of style that just feels disharmonious to where the “MisAdvenTUREs of Lawrence Leon” was taking us. I felt like I got fooled by a “MisDirection of Lawrence Leon” or maybe it could just be this song's placement that left me unfulfilled. The previous track was a tough act to follow but In spite of how I feel, the flow is still nice and the beat is bangin’.