GRAMMY Award-winning artist, master producer and multi-instrumentalist Terrace Martin has been on a tear. For the majority of 2023, he’s released a steady stream of heat, and there’ll be no slowing down for the mighty maestro. This past Friday alone, Martin released two brand-new albums. He collaborated with his uncle Calvin Keys on the surprise instrumental collection The Near North Side and dropped the joint album sneek with contemporary R&B/soul singer Gallant. The sneek project was announced just a few weeks ago, led by the Robert Glasper and Keyon Harrold-featuring single “311!,” which itself was released mere days before his other collaborative album, I Left My Heart In Ladera, alongside fellow LA-bred talent Alex Isley.
If you’ve had trouble keeping up with Terrace’s output, we can’t say that we blame you. But keep up you must, lest you miss out on some of the most incredible music being released right now from one of the most prolific artists of our time.
The sneek LP signifies the launch of Terrace Martin’s latest record label O’Connor, in partnership with Lowly and Create Music Group. The nine-track project includes production from both Martin and Glasper who lay a foundation for Gallant built on jazz and soul.
The twinkling opener “Yellowjacket” kicks things off and centers around themes of distractions, uncertainty and loyalty. From there, we revisit the lead single before diving deep into the throws of a love story that might end before it starts.
Co-written by Charlie Bereal, Gallant and Martin, “Bend” captures the frustration felt when one is forced to bear the weight of their lover’s past. Gallant draws his line in the sand as he sings, “Don’t you keep no secrets from me / Or lie if it’s true / I’ll be patient with you but / We gon’ have to bend ’cause I’m sick of breaking hearts breaking hearts over you.”
We continue along the emotional journey with the introspective interlude “Alphabet City” that leads into the album standout “Common Ground.” Once again, Robert Glasper taps in, as the track mesmerizes with dancing melodies over dazzling keys. We awaken from this beautifully hypnotic state with “Oslo,” which serves a trio of vastly different energies for five and a half minutes.
“Devil’s Advocate” takes us back into our feelings with Gallant pleading with a lover to give him the benefit of the doubt. The track “Tandem” is a head-nod-worthy groove with a hip-hop bop that complements Gallant’s clever lyrics likening how in sync he is with his lady to them riding a tandem bicycle.
Martin concludes the project by tapping completely into his jazz roots on “Venus de Milo.” With a tone just as striking as its sculpted namesake, the track serves as a soothing cessation to a beautifully crafted voyage through love and life from two artists whose combined superpowers have only left us hungry for more.
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