Point Less
Reviews
Tom McCarter
Reviewed 2019-10-23
Reviewed 2019-10-23
Reviewed: 2019-10-22
Genre: World
FCCs: none
Review: British-Nigerian singer/songwriter Onabulé is the whole package: a powerful, expressive singer and a striking songwriter, with incisive things to say about contemporary society. But always in a poetic way: he is no mere polemicist. His stylistic influences are broad—African, Latin, jazz, funk, soul and pop—and they combine in a completely natural fusion. There is considerable rhythmic variety in these tunes, ably handled by the entire cast of supporting musicians.
If You Like: Stevie Wonder, Yousou N’Dour, Femi Kuti
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
**1/ Throwaway Notion – drums start> uptempo song> soaring guitar solo> uptempo song> slow fade
***2/ The Old Story – drums start> uptempo song with Latin vibe> chorus joins> vocal soars> piano/percussion duet> midtempo song mellows, then swings up> vocal soars with chorus> quick stop
*3/ Point Less – drums/piano starts> uptempo song slows to midtempo, then swings back up> pause> melody shift to midtempo song, then returns to original> guitar solo> midtempo song soars> slow fade
**4/ And Yet – piano starts> uptempo song> vocal soars with chorus> vocal slows to midtempo & organ solo, then swings back up> fade on vocal
5/ Exit Wound – vocal/percussion stars> uptempo song with hi-life vibe slows to midtempo> guitar solo> uptempo song with high-life vibe> quick stop
*6/ What The Heck – piano/bass start> uptempo song> vocal soars> slow fade
7/ Ballad Of The Star Crossed – piano starts> midtempo song with lovely melody morphs into midtempo song with different melody & soaring vocal> Rhodes solo> uptempo song soars with chorus> slow fade
*8/ I Knew Your Father – full band starts> uptempo song> guitar solo> uptempo song soars> fade on vocal
*9/ Sure Lere – drums start> uptempo song> vocal soars> sax solo> uptempo song> crescendo on vocal> uptempo song> fade on vocal
*10/ Tender Heart – guitar starts quietly> slow song> pause> swings up to midtempo> slow fade
***11/ Conceive It – guitar starts> uptempo song> vocal soars> instrumental break> uptempo song> quick stop
**12/ So They Say – vocal starts> slow song> pause> uptempo song> guitar solo> uptempo song> fade
*13/ Pas Famille – harmonica starts> scat singing> uptempo song> harmonica solo> uptempo song> quick stop
**14/ You Can’t Depend On Love – harmonica starts> midtempo song> vocal soars> harmonica/scat duet to quick stop on vocal
Genre: World
FCCs: none
Review: British-Nigerian singer/songwriter Onabulé is the whole package: a powerful, expressive singer and a striking songwriter, with incisive things to say about contemporary society. But always in a poetic way: he is no mere polemicist. His stylistic influences are broad—African, Latin, jazz, funk, soul and pop—and they combine in a completely natural fusion. There is considerable rhythmic variety in these tunes, ably handled by the entire cast of supporting musicians.
If You Like: Stevie Wonder, Yousou N’Dour, Femi Kuti
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
**1/ Throwaway Notion – drums start> uptempo song> soaring guitar solo> uptempo song> slow fade
***2/ The Old Story – drums start> uptempo song with Latin vibe> chorus joins> vocal soars> piano/percussion duet> midtempo song mellows, then swings up> vocal soars with chorus> quick stop
*3/ Point Less – drums/piano starts> uptempo song slows to midtempo, then swings back up> pause> melody shift to midtempo song, then returns to original> guitar solo> midtempo song soars> slow fade
**4/ And Yet – piano starts> uptempo song> vocal soars with chorus> vocal slows to midtempo & organ solo, then swings back up> fade on vocal
5/ Exit Wound – vocal/percussion stars> uptempo song with hi-life vibe slows to midtempo> guitar solo> uptempo song with high-life vibe> quick stop
*6/ What The Heck – piano/bass start> uptempo song> vocal soars> slow fade
7/ Ballad Of The Star Crossed – piano starts> midtempo song with lovely melody morphs into midtempo song with different melody & soaring vocal> Rhodes solo> uptempo song soars with chorus> slow fade
*8/ I Knew Your Father – full band starts> uptempo song> guitar solo> uptempo song soars> fade on vocal
*9/ Sure Lere – drums start> uptempo song> vocal soars> sax solo> uptempo song> crescendo on vocal> uptempo song> fade on vocal
*10/ Tender Heart – guitar starts quietly> slow song> pause> swings up to midtempo> slow fade
***11/ Conceive It – guitar starts> uptempo song> vocal soars> instrumental break> uptempo song> quick stop
**12/ So They Say – vocal starts> slow song> pause> uptempo song> guitar solo> uptempo song> fade
*13/ Pas Famille – harmonica starts> scat singing> uptempo song> harmonica solo> uptempo song> quick stop
**14/ You Can’t Depend On Love – harmonica starts> midtempo song> vocal soars> harmonica/scat duet to quick stop on vocal
Recent airplay
So They Say, And Yet
Clean Copper Radio & Hot Topics — Jan 14, 2020
Conceive It
Clean Copper Radio & Hot Topics — Jan 07, 2020
You Can't Depend On Love
Old Fart At Play — Jan 02, 2020
Conceive It
Brian Canada DEMO #2 (Mellow Fellow) — Jan 02, 2020
I Knew Your Father
Clean Copper Radio & Hot Topics — Jan 02, 2020
The Old Story
Clean Copper Radio & Hot Topics — Dec 31, 2019
Charting
2019-10-30 — 2020-01-01
Reggae/World
| Week Ending | Airplays |
|---|---|
| Jan 5 | 1 |
| Dec 22 | 1 |
| Nov 17 | 3 |
| Nov 10 | 1 |
| Nov 3 | 2 |
Track listing
| 1. | Throwaway Notion | ||
| 2. | The Old Story | ||
| 3. | Point Less | ||
| 4. | And Yet | ||
| 5. | Exit Wound | ||
| 6. | What The Heck | ||
| 7. | Ballad Of The Star Crossed | ||
| 8. | I Knew Your Father | ||
| 9. | Sure Love | ||
| 10. | Tender Heart | ||
| 11. | Conceive It | ||
| 12. | So They Say | ||
| 13. | Pas Famille | ||
| 14. | You Can't Depend On Love |