Moments of emotional tension and insecurity are cobbled together in a slew of R&B melodies and bright guitarwork in Steve Lacy’s Oh Yeah?, bringing forth a project that is robust in its rose-tinted atmosphere and production, but leveled by its playfulness.
Packed with a fuller instrumental layering of acoustic and distorted guitars, electronic keys and drum samples, Steve Lacy leans further into the realm of alt-pop, traversing between the lines of what casual listeners would find familiar or completely new. It explores several sounds under the alt-pop umbrella, from the energetic “nice shoes” to the hazy and alluring “pure colour,” all of which feel far well-produced, refined and technically thoughtful in comparison to Lacy’s stripped-back nature in previous works. It all feels like a step forward in terms of where Lacy’s ideas and production execution are set.
The record also features some of the largest names that Lacy has ever worked with: SZA and Erykah Badu make surprising guests, as well as Cecile Believe, who is known for some of her work with A.G. Cook. Each of the record’s features take the reins for their respective songs, but is done in a way that does not distract from the record’s vision for wavering romances and intimacy. “is it cool?” with SZA, for example, could very well stand alone as a single in SZA’s catalog of relationship woes, but pieces together in Oh Yeah? just as well thematically. Much of the same could be said about Erykah Badu and Cecile Believe for their respective tracks.
Under the dense veil of its otherwise well-produced melodies are bouts of kitsch lyricism, which aren’t at all an unfamiliar sight in a discography riddled with sensual themes. It does, however, become rocky throughout; double-takes during certain lines are just as likely as recognizing phrases that are frequented in everyday pop ballads, selling some tracks short of the brisk, fleeting atmospheres built around them. More often than not, it is the latter, especially considering its fair share of comparably trite flows and vocal intonations behind each melody.
For a musician capable of creating vocally impressive shockers like Gemini Rights‘ “Amber” or the lengthy and ever-changing “Like Me” from Apollo XXI, not much of Oh Yeah? matches up to previous records, even in its subtle move towards a more alt-pop-inspired sound and production. Perhaps this seemingly transitional phase leaves more room for Steve Lacy to find a firmer intertwining of both the boldness of older eras and the richness of later productions, but until then, Oh Yeah? still offers the same addicting springiness that is definitive of his musicianship as an evolving indie powerhouse.
VUZE SCORE: 6.0/10
By Giancarlo Diloy