Kairos

Wu-Tang Clan「C.R.E.A.M.」使いの「You」収録!
Wu-Tang Clan「C.R.E.A.M.」使いの「You」で、注目を集めることとなったオランダ出身のシンガー Nicole Busが、Roc Nationからリリースした4枚目が本作!ほかにもアレやコレのサンプル使いなど90'sヒップホップリスナーなら即座に反応すべき1枚。
(C)札幌ピヴォ店:小阪 和明

Roc Nationが送り出した実力派ソウル・ディーヴァ、 Nicole Busのメジャー・デビュー・アルバム

ヒット・シングル「You」、Ghostface Killah、Rick Rossを招いたそのリミックス・ヴァージョンを収録

The winding career of gospel- and soul-powered singer and songwriter Nicole Bus was established with a couple competition wins in her native Netherlands, advancement to the quarterfinals of The Voice of Holland, and her 2009 recorded debut. At one point between her first two albums, The Heart of the Matter (2011) and Magnolia (2017), she told close collaborator Needlz -- a veteran producer behind tracks from the likes of 50 Cent, Bruno Mars, Jeremih, and Cardi B -- that she would one day sign with Roc Nation. Bus dream became a reality in 2018. Her first single for the label, You, shot to the top of Billboards Adult R&B Songs chart in 2019. Wrapped in layers of nostalgia, the hit samples the Charmels Isaac Hayes/David Porter-written 1967 single As Long as Ive Got You like Wu-Tang Clans C.R.E.A.M did in 1993, and Bus echoes the chorus of the original out of devotion, adding her own timestamp only with references to modern pop-cult heartthrobs. For listeners encountering the song for the first time, its raspy ad-libs and wails can be easily mistaken for the work of Lauryn Hill or Jazmine Sullivan. On her subsequent third LP, Bus seizes this opportune moment, or kairos, as the ancient Greeks identified it, and goes a little further to secure her place in the throwback R&B continuum. Apart from TL Cross, who produces a couple tracks and assists on another, Bus works strictly with Needlz. They frequently repurpose breaks and other sampled elements inextricably linked with golden age hip-hop, and dip occasionally into vintage reggae stylings, like theyve absorbed everything Salaam Remi and Wyclef Jean did separately and together during the back half of the 90s. The strength, grain, and perceptible wisdom in Bus voice make her a perfect match for this approach. Bus stands out most and excels on the pulsing contemporary ballad 411 (which does quote Mary J. Blige) and the uplifting soul-gospel finale Look Up to the Sky. The latter is based on an unreleased Isaac Hayes recording, and Bus sounds free from the weight of the past, embracing the fortune of working with a missing slice of musical history, coming across more like a fully churchified Carole King. ~ Andy Kellman

「The X Factor」などへの出演歴もあるオランダの女性シンガーがロック・ネイションから発表した、通算4作目となるUSデビュー作。全米進出に貢献したニードルズらと組み、チャーメルズ使いのウータン・クラン"C.R.E.A.M."オマージュとなる"You"(ゴーストフェイス・キラー客演リミックスも誕生)でブレイクした彼女らしく、ヒップホップ・ソウル的なビートの曲が目立つ。ドナルド・バード"Wind Parade"を引用してスザンヌ・ヴェガ"Tom's Diner"のフレーズを歌う"With You"のプロダクションも90年代風だ。レゲエっぽい節回しも交えたブルージーな枯れ声でエモーションを込めるローリン・ヒル系の歌唱も懐かしさを誘うが、多様なスタイルで軽々とフィールドを越境。ポップでありながら骨太な好作だ。
bounce (C)林剛