by DOM PUENTE//Staff Writer
Tone Stith has broken through the R&B world, creating a following of young and old listeners with his first album, “Can We Talk.”
Many R&B singers entering their careers having recently incorporated auto-tune or a type of rap style into their songs. They categorize themselves as both a singer and rapper.
Stith, a young and talented R&B singer, has stuck to the category of only singing in R&B, and I enjoy the type of songs he has released on his album. His smooth voice and ability to hit high notes with ease are a nice change of pace from other male singers of his genre.
While listening to the album, I was not concerned with the technical portions of his songs. What brought me in were his lyrics and his soft voice.
Lyrically, his songs were simple and easy to listen to without having to wonder why he said that to begin with. A few songs do have a sexual encounter within them. But the majority stray away from portraying sex and focus on love or the beauty a girl has.
I noticed that even though every song may switch topics about a girl, the main idea is loving her more than anybody while showing his affection to her every second of the day.
The album begins with “Oh My Gosh,” which I found to be my favorite song of the album. This song does use a sexual encounter as the basis of the song, but Stith puts the qualities that he admires in a girl while displaying affection for her in any way into the song, which flows well.
While I did not focus on the technical aspects of the album, I noticed how well it was produced with the mixes, beats and vocals being added. For some first-time artists, I have noticed that the producing of an album might not be great in all aspects, but I enjoyed all areas of the album without questioning anything.
Another favorite of the album is “Get It Right,” which is a song describing how far he will go to make things right with a girl if something is wrong. The overall message of the song is something I can relate to, and it grabs my attention.
The overall messages within the songs really appeal to me, because not every song is about sex or the visual of having so many girls or relationships. I can respect Stith for creating an album that is built on taking care of a woman and showing her love in many aspects in a relationship.
I don’t have a song that I dislike. But there is one song that is more of a non-traditional song and almost a throwback for me. The song “Every Hour” carries a Michael Jackson-esque feel to it. The track has a upbeat hip-hop feel that you could find on an ‘80s track or just a Jackson song.
Even with a different style of song such as “Every Hour,” it sounds great, and the singing blends well with the beats used. It is different seeing that variation of beats and singing style in songs these days, but it presents a nice change of pace for me.
Throughout all the songs, I was pleased with Stith’s work for a first album, and I anticipate he will continue to get better from here. As long as he heads in this direction with his music, I will continue to be a fan. I give this album an 8 out of 10.
8/10
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