Pigeon John

Sings the Blues is a positive, uplifting album that perfectly blends Pigeon John’s decent R&B vocals with occasional, tight raps and creatively smooth beats. When he does pull out the raps, John is a slick MC with a quick flow, a smooth nasal voice, and a catchy lilt. On opening track "Upside Down Rotten,” Pigeon John raps his D.A.I.S.Y. Age braggadocio over a party anthem beat with a wicked detuned guitar sample, and on "Identity Crisis (In Like Flynn Remix),” he raps about his inner struggle to remain true to himself as an artist and a person against overwhelming outside expectations; and he sounds great doing it. Best of all, he’s capable of using the outlet of rap to express some very honest, emotional sentiments with "Emily (PJ All Day Remix),” although the rest of his personal confessions are sing-song half-raps or even full-out R&B singing. There’s "Rainy Days,” a touching ode to mothers, which opens with raps from RedCloud followed by John’s infectious sing-song flow; "She Cooks Me Oatmeal,” a beautiful love song that boils down to breakfast; and "The Grand Ol’ Waltz,” an epic R&B track about the dizzying dance of life and death. Pigeon John sings the blues, but he also raps, and it’s rare when the two are combined as successfully and seamlessly as they do on Pigeon John’s Sings the Blues.