In his latest single, titled “Boom – Love Version,” HeIsTheArtist continues to showcase his virtuosic vocal against a backdrop of soul-laden harmonies and beats that are as inspirational as they are sonically unique. With a piano’s glistening keys and a muted bassline component to serve as the catalyst for his striking melodies, HeIsTheArtist doesn’t waste any time getting into the guts of a sexy groove in “Boom – Love Version” that immediately lets us know we’re in for something special here. A track like this is credibility-confirming, and this summer, it’s one of the best soul/gospel numbers I’ve had the pleasure of spinning.
BANDCAMP: https://heistheartist.bandcamp.com/releases
The percussive element in this mix isn’t large and in charge, but it’s not invasive, either. Lately, a lot of the R&B I’ve listened to has been overloaded with overstated drum parts, but with “Boom – Love Version,” there’s already more than enough presence to the vocal and the bassline, making the need for additional pulsations from the percussion eliminated. HeIsTheArtist was wise to stick with a simplistic framework for this single, as it definitely accentuates his natural vocal skills more than it does anything in the instrumentation – a concept that I would recommend some of his contemporaries try for themselves sometime.
There’s nothing unobtrusive about this lyrical delivery – to be frank, it’s half the reason why I would say this is HeIsTheArtist’s best song so far. He’s breathing so much life into these words, insisting that we accept them as we would the rays of a new day’s sun, but rather than reinforcing his point with a lot of theatrical fluff in the background, he’s using his voice as a means of assuring authenticity here. This is something that the likes of Otis and Sam perfected generations ago, and if given a little more time and space to cultivate his own abilities, I don’t see why HeIsTheArtist won’t be able to master it as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lv3RcEhsKYU
The approach to the levels in the mix here is rather subtle and, dare I say, surreal given the style of music being produced, but I can get behind the minimalist aspect of “Boom – Love Version” for one main reason – the vocal is always the center of attention. This is the kind of singer that needs all the spotlight on his pipes in a ballad like this one, and rather than getting experimental with the finish, I like that we’re getting something unquestionably firm in the final cut of this song. After all, who needs any sort of external bombast when you’ve got the right vocalist at the helm of the mic?
Although there are a lot of rising stars in both gospel and neo-soul alike, HeIsTheArtist is definitely one of the more intriguing players I’ve heard this year. “Boom – Love Version” is an evocative single that doesn’t challenge the mainstream model so much as it works around, and more often than not, flat out avoids the plasticized components that make a commercial R&B song feel saccharine instead of special. I like his style and can’t wait to see where it takes him next.
Jodi Marxbury