Courtesy: Stereogum.com
Los Angeles-based songstress Tinashe Kachingwe has spent the better part of a decade exploring her craft through various genres of the ever-expansive recording industry.
She began her career in Vitamin C-endorsed teen pop group The Stunners before stepping out on her own in 2011. She made her solo debut releasing “In Case We Die,” a grown-up, sexy mixtape, including everything from strip tease suites to hazy, drug-inspired cuts.
Tinashe, although continuing to develop her alternative R&B sound on subsequent releases, “Reverie” and “Black Water,” seemed to be interested in clinging to her teen star roots, appearing in a Proactiv commercial in 2013, just before launching the promotional campaign for an upcoming album.
A shape-shifting artist, Tinashe has stuck close to a pattern of composing singles that sound significantly more pop-oriented than the bulk of the material on her full-length products.
“2 On” the lead single from her mainstream debut album, “Aquarius,” seemed to be a sign of more of the same. Enlisting the help of Los Angeles’ current beat king, DJ Mustard, Tinashe brought “2 On” to dance floors in early 2014 before it began to heat up on summer radio playlists.
Featuring an ill-advised verse from ScHoolBoy Q and a stellar nod to Sean Paul’s dancehall crossover hit “We Be Burnin” in the song’s final moments, “2 On” has propelled Tinashe into the realm of groundbreaking female artists in urban music alongside Jhené Aiko, SZA and Teyana Taylor.
Although none are perfect, what those three artists are able to do well is stay in their lane.
Jhené leads the pack with a light, sultry voice that pairs well with thick, rumbling synths that envelope her buttery sweetness like walls of sonic milk chocolate. Her voice sticks out within this rich mixture, even as she stumbled more than a few times on her debut album “Souled Out” just last month.
SZA’s skill set showcases desperation in both her lyricism and delivery, driving songs like “Time Travel Undone” and “Teen Spirit” to feel like the narrator could give up on love, life and music at any moment.
Teyana Taylor, the first lady of Kanye West’s GOOD (Getting Out Our Dreams) Music imprint, combines 1990s era hip-hop soul with the thumping 808 drum patterns prominent in rap production today.
All of these artists experience downfalls on EPs, mixtapes and LPs (Teyana’s debut album “VII” awaits its scheduled release later this month), but Tinashe experiences a unique flaw on her coming out party “Aquarius” that has yet to plague this new crop of young artists – she simply tries to do too much.
The Tinashe present on “Aquarius” comes across as the new girl in town who hasn’t quite figured out who she wants to be or what clique to be a part of. At the end of the title track and initial song on the album, she breaks the fourth wall, telling the listener in a breathy voice, “Welcome to my world.” Some music fans may want to decline the invitation.
For those who choose to accept, this first impression leads into the remaining two songs in a three-part movement of ambient soul reminiscent of tracks from Tinashe’s debut mixtape, so alike they could be carbon copies. “Bet” feels like it is a remix to 2011’s “The Last Night on Earth.”
Even a few of the vocal runs strike familiar notes. “Cold Sweat,” the following song, is held together by a thumping bongo beat that feels like a happy medium between the moods of past hits “That” and “My High.” These are all good things, though.
Tinashe shines most when she sticks to her roots.
With an angelic, airy voice, she floats above compositions. She uses her voice as an instrument. She knows when to allow her lead vocal to pierce through, taking control of a song, just as much as she knows when to wind her voice around the background of a given section.
Problems arise after the first within a list of six unnecessary interludes between parts of the album. Aquarius’s puzzling tracklist allows for slower songs to be paired next to uptempo bangers, breaking the pacing down dramatically. “All Hands On Deck,” for instance, a bouncy danceable tune, is wedged between two interludes with “Pretend,” a ballad that sets the stage for a convincing Rihanna impression.
Tinashe’s greatest triumph during the hour-long experience is her ability to play to her knack for murky love songs with a wide array of song arrangers.
“Feels Like Vegas,” “Thug Cry” and “Far Side of the Moon” all utilize this practice to anchor the midsection of the album, but the most ambitious production of the lot is “How Many Times.”
Producer, Cameron, builds the bedroom jam around a smooth sample of “Funny How Time Flies (When You’re Having Fun)” by Janet Jackson. Unfortunately, Atlanta rapper, Future finds a way to reprise the staccato flow he made famous last year on “Karate Chop,” ripping almost every ounce of subtle sensuality out of the otherwise easy-going number.
Tinashe approaches the R&B world like a chameleon, using different sounds like colors to fit herself into new, exciting musical environments. However, in a business where standing out is key, it will be interesting to see if she can keep from being overlooked.
