London O'Connor is a singer/hip-hop artist who has recently come onto the music scene with a series of very interesting and unique singles that set him apart from all of his peers in the hip-hop music scene. On his debut project O∆, a project featuring only beats and lyrics provided by he himself, the talented young musician delivers a breath of fresh air and innovation into the music world.
O∆ begins with a short ten or so second intro before leading into the first actual song on the tape; Oatmeal. Some very uplifting synth driven production is met with O'Connor's very soft and melodic vocal style; as he discusses his life, his friends, and just about everything else that crosses the young man's mind. The real centre of this song, much like the majority his music, lays in his choruses, which are catchy, well-wrote, and delivered with plenty of emotion.
The next track, Natural, is one of my favourite cuts, as it opens with London singing about how nothing in his neighbourhood feels, well, "natural." It also features some very playful rapping that balances out quite well with his singing. The next song Steal, features more high-pitched, unorthodox singing along with some production that has a certain MGMT flavour to it.
Nobody Hangs Out Anymore is the fifth track in the listing, and also happens to be his most recognized song as it has now accumulated over 200,000 plays on the music streaming service soundcloud. He discusses how the internet has changed his friends, and everybody around him, while almost talk-rapping through the verses. At this point, if the kid's production skills haven't blown you away, you must not be a fan of beautifully composed music, as he has a serious gift for creating nice beats.
Nobody Hangs Out Anymore is the fifth track in the listing, and also happens to be his most recognized song as it has now accumulated over 200,000 plays on the music streaming service soundcloud. He discusses how the internet has changed his friends, and everybody around him, while almost talk-rapping through the verses. At this point, if the kid's production skills haven't blown you away, you must not be a fan of beautifully composed music, as he has a serious gift for creating nice beats.
Guts, the next take, is a very different track than it's predecessors, as London O'Conner talks about his distaste for a certain person, (a girl perhaps?) while still using some very well crafted up-lifting production. This makes for a somewhat ironic composition, and is very lighthearted in nature, but also contains some seemingly real lyrics. I believe this song highlights O'Connor's ability to, while still taking himself and his music serious, simultaneously write a song that is comedic in some aspects. Following this is a short interlude, of around a minute and half, that features London simply talking over some spacey production before leading into a song that according to him is "about love."
Love Song falls right into his wheelhouse, as his voice and production match up exceptionally well with his production style. He contemplates his feelings for the girl he likes, and ponders exactly how to handle the situation he finds himself in. While bleeding out emotionally, and laying his feelings on the line, the song feels very sincere and authentic, something that shows me just how much potential he has as a songwriter. One last interlude is up next, this one closes in almost at the two minute mark, before we hear the final track Survive.
The closer to me is a step away from the sound of the rest of the album production wise, as the drums come through very loudly, and an almost haunting orchestral sound lays in the background. By no means is it a bad take, but it's not the most enjoyable cut on his debut project, and in fact is probably my least favourite. At nearly five minutes long, the run time is a little bit excessive too, and leads to a somewhat underwhelming song.
All in all, I truly believe London O'Connor is a star in the making, and a completely unique one at that. In the same vein that we've seen popular hip-hop artists in the 2000's like Kid Cudi and Drake blending singing into their rap music, I feel like O'Connor is simply blending rap elements into his singing, and as far as genres go, I can't pick one to place him in. I recommend every one give at least one listen to his debut project, because regardless of your musical preferences, I feel as if his sound will win you over. I'm very interested to see where he is headed in the future, and can't wait until we can hear a project that's even more focused and diverse than this one.
Rating: B
Favorite Tracks: Oatmeal, Natural, Nobody Hangs Out Anymore, Guts, Love Song
Least Favorite Tracks: Survive
Love Song falls right into his wheelhouse, as his voice and production match up exceptionally well with his production style. He contemplates his feelings for the girl he likes, and ponders exactly how to handle the situation he finds himself in. While bleeding out emotionally, and laying his feelings on the line, the song feels very sincere and authentic, something that shows me just how much potential he has as a songwriter. One last interlude is up next, this one closes in almost at the two minute mark, before we hear the final track Survive.
The closer to me is a step away from the sound of the rest of the album production wise, as the drums come through very loudly, and an almost haunting orchestral sound lays in the background. By no means is it a bad take, but it's not the most enjoyable cut on his debut project, and in fact is probably my least favourite. At nearly five minutes long, the run time is a little bit excessive too, and leads to a somewhat underwhelming song.
All in all, I truly believe London O'Connor is a star in the making, and a completely unique one at that. In the same vein that we've seen popular hip-hop artists in the 2000's like Kid Cudi and Drake blending singing into their rap music, I feel like O'Connor is simply blending rap elements into his singing, and as far as genres go, I can't pick one to place him in. I recommend every one give at least one listen to his debut project, because regardless of your musical preferences, I feel as if his sound will win you over. I'm very interested to see where he is headed in the future, and can't wait until we can hear a project that's even more focused and diverse than this one.
Rating: B
Favorite Tracks: Oatmeal, Natural, Nobody Hangs Out Anymore, Guts, Love Song
Least Favorite Tracks: Survive
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