Album review: Praiz

EP – 2 Mins

Artiste – Praiz

Record Label – X3M Music (2018)

Duration – 15 minutes

Album review

Praiz’s ‘2 Mins’ EP has enough to soundtrack your romance. ‘2 Mins’ EP is another fine addition to Praiz’s discography, and pushes him along, on this genre-specific path which he walks. The R&B singer carries through as a muse for the season, releasing the EP. Starting with a bout of probing pianos and a complementary metal guitar, the five-track project continues Praiz’s insistence to stick with his core genre, and the brilliance behind his decision.

Nostalgic drums and soothing rhythms carry his rich vocals, dissecting the romantic experience and more, while the uplifting ‘Here and now’, with its lead guitars, sees Praiz stretch notes to “Give my love to you, here and now.” This fusion of rich vocals and tasteful emoting forms a decent cocktail, and it does actually stimulate the heart-centres.

Much of the work here is safe, but thankfully, not distorted. ‘Champagne & Flowers’ is a Trap creation, where the singer simply sticks to rules, providing his fans with the comfortable use of his vocals, and ‘I don’t want to love’ you is a bit of a loop, but the background string infusion offers a layer of dynamism.

More interesting though, is the gripping way the project captures a stage of romance. It’s the familiar push and pull, where problems threaten the existence of love. Praiz of course, is torn between fixing it, and sacrificing the bond. He’s indecisive, but sincere, which is contagious, once you get into this. Title track opener ‘2 Mins’ invites you into the conflict which happens when emotion clouds judgement, ‘Save us’ offers a solution to that dilemma, with a willingness to fix things.

But ‘Here and now’ is expression pumped full with steroids to make it strong. “I owe my heart to you, here and now/I give my love to you, here and now.”  There’s a couched sexual energy ‘Champagne and flowers’, but it dissipates quickly on the closing track, as he documents loss.

It’s timely too, tapping into the romantic season, and offering a fresh soundtrack to all that boning and bonding.

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