I Wanna Know

Second time The Foreign Exchange has graced my blog and this time I bring you the smooth track entitled I Wanna Know from their 2008 album Leave It All Behind. I love this groups music even though their sound is accessible aka pop. It's still witty and biting at times. The lyrics are provided by rapper/singer Phonte Coleman and the tracks are crafted by producer Nicolay and together these two men have done exceptional work.

I Wanna Know starts off with Phonte singing  Okay, you can blame it all on me tonight / Don't wanna walk away / Tonight I'll be the bigger man which immediately let's you know this is not your average love song. He has a great voice with range and Nicolay does his best to highlight it by not drowning it out with overproduction. The track is simple which helps you focus on the lyrics but it's arranged masterfully. There are points in the song where Phonte's vocals are layered which adds a wonderful dimension to the song.

Leave It All Behind is the second album from this duo and it spawned both a Grammy nomination and a Grammy win for the song Daykeeper, a song I highly recommend if you dig this one. Enjoy...and yes, you're welcome :)

Out For Blood

This piece hit me in the headphones today and it demanded my attention. Epic in scale, Out For Blood is off the 2014 Epic Score album entitled Strength To Believe and it is amazing. Every time I wonder how these guys can keep this going, if they can surpass their previous pieces of ridiculous melodies, magnificent arrangements, and soaring vocals, they hit me with a new track that clears the bar all the time.

Blood starts off dramatic, there is no slow intro here. It gets into full groove almost right away with the pounding percussion keeping the tempo alive. It's got a great melody and the arrangement keeps this piece from getting boring. The layering of the vocals on top of all that's going on is a masterstroke. I'm having a hard time not keeping this on repeat because it has definitely moved up in the queue.

If you're a fan of epic music or position music then you should check out Strength To Believe. It won't disappoint. And if you like this cut in particular then I highly recommend you check out Tower Fall off this same album. Enjoy and you're welcome.

Broken Man

Anthony Hamilton is one of my favorite singers and I love pretty much everything he's dropped. His fifth studio Back To Love was no exception. It was released back in 2011 and immediately snatched up the Grammy for best R&B album. It's a solid album through and through, and if you didn't buy the deluxe version of Back then you missed out on this gem of a song entitled Broken Man. 

It starts off with a really subtle into, organ, piano, finger snaps, and kick drum. The song itself though is hard hitting and biting. Singing lyrics like Now she told me he was just a friend / But friends don't send pictures like that / I aint even start an argument / Grabbed my Louis bags an packed...clues you into why the song is called Broken Man. I dig this cut but what I really love is the vocal layering on the chorus. It sounds fantastic and the breathy vocals are a nice contrast to Anthony's voice.

The music never really changes but that's just fine by me. The melody is sweet and the tempo is one that almost doesn't match what he's singing about. It sounds like it should belong to a song pledging unconditional love, not a break up song. If you like this cut then you might also enjoy his song Pray For Me written and produced by Babyface. Enjoy and you're welcome!

After Dreaming

This is Wasis Diop's second appearance on my blog, which means I am a considerable fan. This time the song I am introducing you to is entitled After Dreaming off of his 1998 release Toxu. Wasis hails from Senegal and unless you're fluent in Senegalese you won't catch the lyrics, but the song is something special nonetheless. It's a cool out, chill song with some great vocals supplied by an amazing yet sadly uncredited female singer.

The song starts off with Wasis seemingly walking along side a river and entering a structure, whispering and turning on some equipment. The ethereal music then slides in and the sweet vocals of the female singer clashes so sonically beautiful with Wasis' own gravely baritone that you think it can't get any better. Then the chorus comes in with what sounds like a choir and takes this piece to another level. I really do no mind that I am unable to know what the two are singing about. Beautiful music is beautiful music and this is beautiful music, period.

Toxu is an amazing album and if you like the sound of this then you will absolutely adore Everything (Is Never Quite Enough). His sound is smooth, relaxing, sensual, and inspiring. Don't believe me? That's great, take a listen for yourself and let your ears convince you. I am confident they will. Enjoy!

Lost In Las Vegas

I am a very big fan of the instrumental group Two Steps From Hell and there are a few pieces of their music littered throughout my blog. Today I wanted to introduce you to another piece by them that is unlike anything they've ever done before. First the length of the song is unusually long for them, it's a winding ten minute plus long musical journey which initially surprise me. Secondly what caught me off guard was the brightness of the sound. Two Steps does epic music, trailer music with overpowering orchestration and towering vocals, this song does NOT fall in that category.

It starts out innocently enough as the sounds start to layer, giving you no indication as to what's about to hit, the calm before the musical storm so to speak. The ethereal voices come in as the music starts to pick up steam and at the 3:53 mark this song spreads its wings and takes flight.

Off of their brand new release entitled Miracles, Lost in Las Vegas is a playful, groovy, infectious song that will make you bop your head and tap your toes. It may also put a smile on your face if you're not careful. This song has made me an even bigger fan of Two Steps and I didn't think that was even a possibility. Give this a listen and they may just make a fan out of you too. Enjoy!

You & I (Nobody in The World)

I have said it before and I will say it again, I am not the biggest John Legend fan. I think the main reason behind that is due to the fact that there not only sounds like there's no evolution in his music but that his music seems to actually be regressing. His songs are so chorus (hook) heavy and verse light that they come across as if they were written specifically for movies or TV commercials. However, every now and then he drops a song that makes me pause.

You & I (Nobody In The World) is a damn good song with an even better message and a far better video. The song starts off gently with that guitar sound reminiscent of Explosions In The Sky and he croons over it singing, You fix your makeup just so /Guess you don't know that you're beautiful / Try on every dress that you own / you were fine in my eye a half hour ago. Those lines immediately let you know this is a song that touches on some serious insecurities women deal with, but John delivers the message that out of all the girls in the world, the only one he sees is you. That while you might not think you're pretty or beautiful, or gorgeous...he does.

You & I (Nobody In The World) is off his 2013 release Love in the Future and it may be the best song off that album outside of All Of Me. Check out the powerful video and see if you agree with me.