This Is Book's Music

What exists as R&B today is a far cry from what R&B was, but this is the now. However, when it comes to soul music, you will generally hear some quality music even though some might argue that artists rarely move out of their comfort zone because that’s not what fans want to hear. Yet, when a soul vocalist embraces the outside world, often times it results in something very impressive. That can be said with vocalist Sacha Vee in a song put together by Benny Tones.

“Chrysalis” (BBE) may begin with the sound effects of an 80′s ear video game room, but the music is very much today and/or the future. It’s a mid-tempo dance track with the kind of arrangement you will rarely hear in traditional soul arrangements, somehow it always requires an “outside touch” to, well, sound more wide open. The song has Vee pondering about herself and her feelings, as she sings “these mixed up thoughts, what’s become of these?”, and she dreams of someone she hopes to embrace and hold forever. It’s sensual and yet also busy, so the yin and yang of the sounds going on seem to equate grown up love and romance with those feelings kids used to have when they had enough chance to put into a video game and play for the next hour or two. Except these days, the hours are meant for something more than just pushing buttons. Or now it’s simply pushing human buttons.

A job well done, more music from Benny Tones and Sacha Vee, either together or individually.

(“Chrysalis” will be released on March 1st.)