With his skills both in front of the mic and behind the scenes, we’re never at a shortage of musical magic from Phonte. The multiple-threat artist, who most recently celebrated 20 years of The Foreign Exchange with the double single “The Grey”/“I Couldn’t Love You More (Dub),” has been featured on quite a few projects over the past five years. Still, he hasn’t offered us any new material since he released his solo EP Pacific Time in 2019. He’s now broken that solo drought with that EP’s sequel Pacific Time 2.
Like its predecessor, Pacific Time 2 finds Phonte working with all West Coast producers — with Focus..., Trackademicks, Foolie $urfin and AbJo taking the reins — and focusing on his vocal skills as he spreads the love across four tracks. It opens with “Run For Your Life,” which leans a bit into ’80s new wave territory thanks to a slightly fuzzy, distorted vocal laid over staccato synths and a steady drumbeat.
“Follow Me” gets playful as it starts with electronic piano, a wavy synth bass, kick and snare while Phonte arranges a sexy interlude as Carlitta Durand plays his female foil with a breathy vocal on the chorus. That’s followed by “5:55am,” where Tigallo gets things poppin’ with solid bars at the start of the track. It’s a great lead-in as the track slowly gets more and more melodic before he switches to vocals as he makes the case for needing somebody in the wee hours of the morning. The cut shifts again near the end, incorporating a four-on-the-floor beat into the proceedings as things get a lot more danceable.
The set ends with the “Outta My Head.” A duet with songstress Carmen Rodgers, the song finds the two playing a couple at a crossroads. The twosome contemplates all the love, tears and words that they’ve shared together and the conflicting emotions it all dredges up as a looped sound bed of strings and drums underscores it all. The beat then flips as things slow down and then pick up for Phonte to deliver a closing rap to put a cap on all they’re going through.
Pacific Time 2 finds Phonte once again stretching his creativity and expanding his sound to great effect. And who knows, it might be a sign that the rapper/singer is readying a fuller body of work in the near future.
Phonte Pacific Time 2 [Amazon][Apple Music][TIDAL]
