(BALADS)

Man, Estee. What a man and what a fucking career he’s had! I’ve covered almost ten of his albums lately and I haven’t found a dud yet. This man just has the definition of ‘IT’ factor and, including probably more releases on Bandcamp exclusive, this man has the catalogue and career everyone dreams of! But he has no plans of stopping and that’s where this comes in. Let’s talk about it!

So this is the March 2020 drop by Estee Nack and producer Superior. Together they drop eleven tracks with thirty-four minutes of content. Featuring the likes of 

-ETO

-Daniel Son

-The Real Ice Lord

-Recognize Ali

-Code Nine

And although once again missing the infamous Al, this is a solid lineup. A mixture of artists he’s worked with in the past and a few new ones. Regardless, this one is an interesting combination of sounds he’s done before and new influences combined.

Superior has this methodical approach to this album that’s intriguing to the ears. It’s as if he’s taking a more classical/theatrical path with opera vocal loops and deep, in-depth chord notes and harmonies that make you feel you’re in some Greek mythology timeline. The kind of ballads they would play is what I imagine this sounds like.

We get that flavour right off the bat with the opening track and then the album dives into more slow-paced production with empathies on the patterns, the sharpness of the music itself, and making sure it’s as clear and consistent as well as flavourful and infectious. He did everything on that list and more on this album!

Estee and company provide their trademark charismatic flows with a bit more emphasis, it feels, on the melodic side of things with more singing and notes by Estee as he utilises this harmonic production.

In no way would I consider this a ‘sentimental’ record, but the extra usage of vocal notes and softer touches on the adlibs makes me think that Estee (in his own way, of course) wants this record to be his once-off softer record as perhaps a change of pace or trying something new with this new producer.

Of course, I could be all wrong about this, but compared to his other albums past and present, Estee is definitely giving me a different vibe, and in no means is it a bad album. It’s fucking excellent, and it still inherits all the things we love from him, from his charisma to his originality in his flow and lyricism, so he’s still on top of his game even across this more melodic experience! 

Overall, regardless of how different this might sound compared to other releases, Estee makes this production work best for him, and he pulls off another stunning performance and makes for one of his most iconic albums to date!

https://open.spotify.com/album/52zrqsoMG3TnAL39aPSXQ6?si=FGRZic2gTQSq39wy4-ru-A