(((Rating: 3.5)))Bangers: Diamond Girl, You're Fly, Valentine, How It Was Supposed to Be, I-R-I-N-A, Gibberish
R-Les aka Ryan Leslie aka the extraordinarily talented and skilled producer behind most of Cassie's music and of course his own. He is back with a long-long-overdue album rightly self-titled, Ryan Leslie. So allow me to introduce my review on an beautifully produced album...
Diamond Girl - The synths bang heavy here with Ryan's simple and infectious lyrics and head-bobbing music. Excellent first single material! "You're my diammmond girl"!
Addiction - No one does simplicity like Ryan Leslie and then creates an unforgettable beat. "I'm addicted to you..."! And indeed I am to this song. Fabulous is also featured here as he rides the beat like a pro!
You're Fly - You have to love how Ryan opens a track with his clever rhymes and then comes in singing with the beat following right behind. He speaks on friends turned friends with benefits. "Baby you're fly..."
Quicksand - This will definitely make your head move as do most of his songs. However it's the catchy hook that may be a better delivery throughout the song.
Valentine - The slap-back beat and quirky notes make this song absolutely lovable. Ryan sings in a perfect falsetto and then grooves into his more natural key towards the hook. "I know you're not my girlfriend, but I swear that I love you." Repeat. :)
Just Right - Something about this beat makes me think back to an old D'Angelo/Musiq track. Ryan talk/sings here and while the track isn't a fav, I wouldn't skip it either.
How It Was Supposed 2 Be - Very catchy, especially when the beat builds and is fully exposed. This is where a true fan, falls right back in love with Ryan's skill. "And I wonder if we'll ever find out how it was supposed to beeee baby" Repeat!
I-R-I-N-A - Ryan plays the piano very beautifully here and sings a mid-tempo ballad that you could definitely enjoy on a breezy day. "I wanna be your future, forget about your past..."! Repeat.
Out of the Blue - When you think the album can get any better, he gives us this song full of robotic synths and mellow beats. You feel his pain as he explores being left by his lover "out of the blue."
Shouldn't Have to Wait - Well produced. Well sang. He mixes melodies beautifully here as well. Any follower of his YouTube channel will hear the infamous mini-horn throughout the song.
Wanna Be Good - Mellow. Nice tempo. Classic Ryan rock to it. Definitely dance music. You may catch yourself singing the hook randomly, "I just wanna be good to you"!
Gibberish - Although, I cannot be sure of a word in this song, the melody and key Ryan, well auto tune, sings in is lovely. We hear the fav mini-horn again and fall in love with this odd but lovable song. This is definitely a favorite. "...you know I won't you right there...."
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