The Elevation Of Man.
'Jesus Is King' may have finally walked into our Spotify playlist for Kanye West's resurrection, but today Tank has already elevated himself to a higher power and level with his new epic 'Elevation' set of sex, love and pain too and his best going hard since 'SLP2'. It's a given now like Adele that the Grammy winning producer and TGT supergroup Kings man with originator Ginuwine and 'Fast and Furious' and 'Black and Blue' Hollywood star Tyrese Gibson releases an album to fall every other year, sometimes going back-to-back like Magic and Kareem's 80's Lakers. It's Showtime baby! Ever since 2010's 'Now Or Never', hard to believe on the eve of being a decade ago in anniversary, this 'One Man', 'Force Of Nature' has acted upon that very notion. From the fresh Summer heat rock energy of 'This Is How I Feel', to the Motown two step of 'You're My Star' off the atmospheric 'Stronger' from the soul soldier with another classic ballad for his battalion ('I Hope That Makes You Love Me'). And the superior 'Sex, Love and Pain II' sequel and sexual 'Savage' which may aswell have come with protection and a parental advisory sticker to begin his explicit era. Not to mention some epic valentine and Christmas seasonal E.P.'s and the 'Diary Of A Madman' mixtape that could body most rappers like Babbs does bench pressing weight rooms. There's so much protein being mixed in the studio that Tank can even shoot hot singles he doesn't even put on albums like the frequent collaborator Chris Brown assisted classic club banger 'Shots Fired'. But with 'Elevation' as he artwork iconic rapture rises to a purer place like a Nike swoosh, just wait and hear what Tank has in his absolutely amazing, album armoury now.
Opening with some outstanding Omari Hardwick poetic justice in an inspired, interlude intro like how Chicago's Malik Yusef used to set G.O.O.D. music off, the great and grand self-titled 'Elevation' evokes the epic feeling of this big, blockbuster album from the gate. As Tank flexes "I can hear 'em talkin' 'bout the king (Ooh yeah)/The game without me ain't the fuckin' same (Oh)/Got this shit up on a higher plane (Pick it up)/It's private and the pilot know my name," lyrical muscle to Carvena Jones beautiful backing vocal. Before the big beat of 'WWJD' may need to go to the boom recital of one of Kanye's 'Jesus Is King' Sunday services, as the gospel ready singer Babbs delivers his own sermon for what would Jesus do. For the offering, reaching out his hand and singing "you don't have to be alone" over and over with Dylan, 'I Want You' urgency. He may be alone on the throne though, even though there is no solitude in the studio with the classic 'Champion'. Big like King James for the 'More Than A Game' soundtrack 'If You Dream' singer, taking the crown in this game of thorns, where Babbs survives any barbs. "Drip so crazy you know I'm an animal" he growls going to war like "Rambo", feeling like "Tyson, Jordan", singing about a love that feels like taking the belt with a K.O. or M.J. slam for all the rings. It's not just a boast, it's a beautiful toast to the heart for a soulful R&B man who Prince king knows how to take the base urges of sex to a higher level closer to God. The three D's of Danté, Dontäy and Dunteá also musketeer assist on the swashbuckling 'No Cap' with the beat to match. Before Tank ("let me go down and change your mind") gets deep, down and dirty on 'I Don't Think Your Ready'. Backing it up with his big, lead, lead strong single 'Dirty' and it's different vibe, but just as vibrant, Chris Brown, Rahky and Feather dusting remix. For something again that like the whole album, literally embodies every word of the slapped parental advisory sticker. Bridge singing, "It seem nice and slow/It's so physical/It's two hundred on the dash/Bust that open, know/I want all the smoke/You ain't even gotta ask", for the tamest take off this track.
Leave! Get out! Because you ain't going to believe this. The 'Too Little, Too Late' former teen idol, JoJo assists on one of the albums most acclaimed tracks that is truly, 'Somebody Else'. As the artillery sings, "I be swimming deep like the ocean/Got you praying for it like devotion/we be making waves with the motion". Amen to that. Following the same atmospheric studio sound that cuts through this whole set, Tank takes it back with Candice Boyd and the supergroup legend Keith Sweat on 'Do You', like he brought Boyz II Men back. Just like we wish he would Ginuwine and Tank for another song like the time they Soul Train covered a Commodore 'Zoom', or came back with the Christmas closer 'Be My Holiday' under the tree tis forthcoming season. But on 'I Promise' the 'I Need' singer gets 'Please Don't Go' classic, almost ten top albums deep. "Girl, you precious, girl, you a blessin'/Got an obsession, don't wanna finesse ya/I just wanna take ya somewhere you ain't been/Ever been to the Caymans? It's so amazin'" he vows. But the deepest devotion is saved for the best of the album in the Luke James and Major featuring electronic 'You Mean More' on a 'You Mean That Much To Me' classic scale as he professes, "Whatever you want, I'll never question it/Whatever you need, I'm willing to provide/I'll give you love with a little lust in it/Show you the universe when you look in my eye/And you gotta feel like you're the world to me/And you gotta know I'm down for the ride." Before finishing strong like Mister Cee with 'This', with that help from Hardwick again and Shawn Stockman back too from the 'End Of The Road'. Doubling up or everything with 'Our Song' and that single remix for an amazing album that if Tank was the TGT, T of Tyrese would be his 'Alter-Ego', or 'The Senior' if he was the G in Ginuwine. His signature style piano playing of 'Our Song' says it all. "Life without you ain't never been right/So I don't plan to be without you anymore/Feels like I've been waiting my whole life, yeah/And now it's real to see you walkin' through the door", this is the real Tank and this is your new 'Wedding Song' to walk down the aisle and first dance to from the "dum, dum, da dum" singer. And that's that in matrimony with music again, it's time to leave your phone engaged and call up the one you love tonight for one you won't forget. Because you're about to get higher. 'Elevation' is the evolution of Tank. Get lifted. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Playlist Picks: 'Elevation', 'Champion', 'You Mean More'.
No comments:
Post a Comment