Theres something to be said for Daniel Caesar choosing to not play it safe on his third full-length, his first for Republic. Never Enough does contain a sizable portion of the alternately stimulating and soporific balladry with which the singer made his name. A few of the songs here in that vein are among his finest. Hes yearning for release in the sighing "Let Me Go," creepily seductive in "Valentina," and not too proud to plead in the charmingly dazed "Do You Like Me" -- fortunately making "Will you have my kids? You better" sound like light-hearted flirtation instead of a threat. For every familiar move, theres an unexpected turn. "Shot My Baby Down" is a dustbowl hip-hop soul murder ballad. Minus an "F"-bomb, "Always" could be mistaken for an update of a strong album cut by a mid-70s sorta-country singer/songwriter. Most peculiar is the sluggish "Vince Van Gogh," on which Caesars voice is variably modulated to sound either extra faded or monstrous. He muses "Used to be ugly, now Im a handsome Charlie Manson wrapped in a Snuggie" after confessing "My words come out clumsy" and being informed that "the psilocybin is hitting." Odder still is that Never Enough is both a dispirited post-fame album and a major-label debut. Caesar sounds categorically docile observing "Now Im a product that must turn a profit" but at least spins it with a memorable aphorism ("Pain is inevitable, miserys a choice"). He often gets wistful, bemoaning the passing of time and longing to rewind nine years, back when "The future was alluring," or even earlier, catching a glimpse of himself as a kid enjoying his own company. Hopefully he doesnt become so disenchanted that he stops making open, messy, and fascinating albums such as this one. ~ Andy Kellman
Rovi
ジャスティン・ビーバーとのコラボで人気を広げたR&Bシンガーの4年ぶりとなる新作。コロナ禍にひとり小部屋で作りはじめるも、今回は主にサー・ディランと組み、ディランの叔父ラファエル・サディークも制作した"Do You Like Me?"やマーク・ロンソンが絡んだ"Pain Is Inevitable"に代表されるサイケ・ロック~フォーク風の内省的なスロウを歌っていく。甘美で幻想的なトラックにセンシティヴな歌声が生々しく浮かび上がる独特のムードは不変。同郷のムスタファを迎えて地元への郷愁を滲ませた"Toronto 2014"のほか、サーペントウィズフィートやタイ・ダラー・サインらとの共演曲で溶け合う個性も見事だ。
bounce (C)林 剛
タワーレコード(vol.473(2023年4月25日発行号)掲載)