I've become fairly accustom with a side of Floridian rapper Denzel through Spotify's artist shuffle. Tilted to my tastes, I've heard my preferred tracks from many albums rotated extensively. Melt My Eyez is my first time getting stuck in with a full record. I'm struck by how broad a scope Curry strikes within the Hip Hop sphere. Often steered by his guest features, Denzel leans into the Trap, Mumble and Pop influenced tunes where his presence diminishes. An autotune drenched T-Pain on Troubles, a cast of feisty features on the following Ain't No Way, a youthful high pitched hook from 454 on Sanjuro. These tracks bridge into other territories to mixed results for this listener.
The bulk of this album is a curious balance of soulful Jazz Hop inspired beats venturing into animated alternative production styles. Denzel's raps are frequently the hook line and sinker, making these colorful instrumentals amount to much more. His verses delve swiftly into meaningful, emotional narratives. Both reflective and introspective, his commentaries, expressions and insights bleed on a variety of creative flows, cadences and rhyme schemes. Not exactly groundbreaking raps but they keep the pace interesting as its milestone tracks are frequently reached.
Ironically X-Wing was my favorite track. Leaning into darker vibes on a Trap percussive stint, Curry embraces modern flows where he would normally echos the 90s. Its catchy autotune hook has an uncanny resonance over swirling glossy pianos and a gray, morose string section. I think it simply encapsulated a gap in arrangement I'd not heard ventured into before. Alongside it, the colorful jazzy cuts and Denzel's emotive raps where the keen highlights for me on this fruitful album.
Rating: 7/10