Seven Davis Jr has finally found a home with Ninja Tune — this, after rejecting several major labels years prior, opting to build and create his musical repertoire in private. The move to a label coincides with the release of his debut full-length, Universes, a seemingly boisterous, almost comedic album featuring guests like Julio Bashmore and Kutmah.
His studies in gospel and jazz are evident across Universes, from killer single "Sunday Morning," with its swaths of guitar and clips of drums and booming bass, to the Chet Faker-esque crooning on "Fighters." But while genre hopping — or melding, rather — on the album works to successfully bridge fragments of downtempo, funk, soul and house, the tracks often lack dimension and often fall flat.
Universes feels gimmicky, like the walking bass and one-note synth found on "Everybody Too Cool" or the siren-like squawks on "No Worries." Seven Davis Jr's debut attempts to stay afloat on the strength of a few strong tracks, but ends up sounding stretched a little too thin.
(Ninja Tune)His studies in gospel and jazz are evident across Universes, from killer single "Sunday Morning," with its swaths of guitar and clips of drums and booming bass, to the Chet Faker-esque crooning on "Fighters." But while genre hopping — or melding, rather — on the album works to successfully bridge fragments of downtempo, funk, soul and house, the tracks often lack dimension and often fall flat.
Universes feels gimmicky, like the walking bass and one-note synth found on "Everybody Too Cool" or the siren-like squawks on "No Worries." Seven Davis Jr's debut attempts to stay afloat on the strength of a few strong tracks, but ends up sounding stretched a little too thin.
