A journal of my thoughts on albums past and present that I come across on my musical journey.

Please Have a Seat album cover. 6.9 out of 10

Please Have a Seat

NNAMDÏ

For an album that was written, performed, produced by a single person - that person being Chicago native Nnamdi Ogbonnaya - Please Have a Seat is quite multifaceted. Cartoon rap, soulful R&B, futuristic indie rock à la Bloc Party, jangly midwest emo, and math rock are all thrown into a blender to create this fantastical odyssey of sound. On top of that, NNAMDÏ executes with a ton of personality and a refreshing sense of humour. Thematically, the record dives into a bit of a personal struggle; on one hand wanting to continue grinding in pursuit of his dreams, recognition, and of course compensation, and on the other, growing tired of jockeying for that coveted position. In some ways, it embraces running the race of your life, as long as you're not running away from yourself.

There's lots to like about this record. The woozy opening track is a great introduction to the record's overarching theme. Armoire has some great, rapid-fire raps, over this suspended beat with vibrant 808 bass shots. Grounded has a really fun, lo-fi rock jingle vibe that I find endearing, and the brief commercial skit that follows is pretty hilarious. Following this is perhaps the album's strongest tune I Don't Wanna Be Famous. It's a quirky tune about wanting to hit the big time without the social status that comes along with it. It's a preposterous notion and I think NNAMDÏ knows this given how elementary the instrumental is here, as well as all the goofy adlibs he incorporates all throughout. It's funny, it's catchy; a fairly entertaining track.

Here's the thing though. After sitting on this record for awhile, I've come to the conclusion that this record is missing that special 'thing' that is really putting me over the top in terms of excitement. It's truly impressive how many sounds and genres are worked into Please Have a Seat, however, by the same token, I'm not sure any of these songs will rank amongst my top rap, pop, rock, or R&B songs of the year. Maybe it's a case of NNAMDÏ spreading himself too thin, but I also think this record's versatility and funhouse nature is its greatest strength. It's difficult to point my finger on the specific problem. All I know is that I'm having trouble connecting with these songs on a deeper level, preventing me from really falling head over heels with it.

6.9

Standouts: I Don't Wanna Be Famous

Experimental R&B, Hip-Hop (2022) Secretly Canadian. Reviewed December 3rd, 2022

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