Gemini Rights - Steve Lacy: Review
Steve Lacy
is a singer, songwriter and producer who has worked with dozens of artists over the past decade and been a part of numerous already classic tracks. He's also been a member of Odd Future off-shoot band The Internet since 2015. Despite his long-running prescence in the music industry Gemini Rights is just Lacy's second studio album and follows 2019's Apollo XXI.
Review by Lav:
While I like Steve Lacy quite a bit and am more than aware of many of the wonderful contributions he's made to songs and records I love, I've never been crazy about his solo work under his own name. I gave a pretty harsh review to his previous album which came up again recently when I talked about it in my "Great Songs From Bad Albums" video. Despite not loving his last record I did think that his bassline talent plus a single I really enjoyed was enough to warrant hype for this record. Unfortunately, as it turns out, Lacy's ear for rewarding sonic direction is pretty much the only thing keeping this record from drowning completely.
Let's talk about that single first because next week it has the chance to become the highest reaching and most visible Steve Lacy solo song ever and for good reason. I'm BEYOND comfortable saying that Bad Habit is my new favorite Steve Lacy song with its ridiculously infectious chorus and slick grooves. Everything about it just makes me swoon and I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up as one of my favorite singles of the year when all is said and done.
There aren't a whole tone of songs on the record that actually feel complete, but when they come up they're usually pretty good. Mercury was the lead single and I like it now more than I did then. It's a real ass Gemini anthem and even though the gentle guitar strings get really old across five minutes, the sheer charm on display wins me over. Closing track Give You The World is another strong highlight and while it isn't specifically THAT horny it works wonders as a bedroom jam. I also quite enjoy the sentiment of giving someone the world and the way its used fits in perfectly with Steve's gentle harmonies and the soft push and pull of the instrumental.
There really aren't any more songs that feel like actual songs on the record, though sometimes the aimless motifs do tend to sound pretty good as they wander. The opener Static is a very funny beginning to the record with a story about someone in Steve's life that is stuck in a k-hole is unexpected but quite fitting. Sunshine with Foushee pretty much gives up on structure after the first minute like a lot of these songs but I find the wandering on this track much more tolerable. It almost has that element of improvisation with talented musicians stretching the song out well past where it was written and the spur of the moment factor really gets me.
And that's pretty much it honestly. I could say the second half of Buttons is pretty good as the repeated refrains get more and more strained each time, but the song's first half is a total snooze. There are a few solid moments on Helmet but overall the bad singing makes it hard to take anything seriously. Cody Freestyle is notable for how funny and horny it is but even being labeled a "freestyle" the lack of substance is kind of astounding and the following track Amber has the same flaws without the freestyle excuse.
I'm not really sure what to say about this record other than the fact that it feels underbaked, underthought, and underwritten. The ideas across the album are by no means bad but they are rarely explored thoroughly and impactfully. What talent Steve Lacy has for instrumentation and rewarding blends of psychedelic soul and R&B does make it at least a pleasant listen in the moment, but very few of these songs have the legs to carry with you once they're turned off. It's an improvement from his first solo album, but still falling so far short of his potential. 5/10
This cover is really fun. I love the overlayed double image idea and it's executed really well. The colors make every part of it distinct and keep the images from blending into each other too much. You have to look at it for a second to even appreciate what is going on which will certainly draw more attention. I do think there needs to be something added that could really push it over the edge, whether that's branding, some texture in the blue, or even more white added. But overall I still really like it. 8.5/10
For more R&B check out my review of FKA Twigs Caprisongs here
