ERIC LAU “ONE OF MANY” ALBUM REVIEW BY MIKE WHO

Eric Lau’s sophomore release “One of Many” follows on from his critically acclaimed debut “ New Territories” and effortlessly bridges the gap between sophisticated and infectious soul, dense musicianship and a firm nod to boom bap aesthetics. Lau’s album is heavyweight for lovers of music with substance and depth, but I can also see it crossing over to those outside of the immediate circles connected to rnb and neo soul. The programming of Lau’s album kept me coming back to discover more gems and uncover detailed intricacies, as certain tunes continually drew me back. On the album Lau has worked with multi-instrumentalist Kaidi Tatham, whose talent shines through and adds a depth and complexity to Lau’s already polished production.

From the slow burning and sultry vibes of Tawiah on “For You” to the rapid fire raps of Oddisee partnered with Oliver St Louis’ infectious hook on “Rise Up” it becomes pretty clear that Lau has a knack for picking guests and pairing them with their respective and relevant sounds. The use of Vocalists Tawiah and Rahel on more than a few tunes gives the album a consistency and balance tied together by the effortless and contagious vocals of these two talented ladies. The overall warmth and subtle English accents made me double check my bank account in the hope that I could afford a plane ticket to escape winter and head to London for a summer of drinking and listening to tunes like these.

The standout tunes for me personally were “Everytime” which proved to be a match made in heaven with the depth of Lau’s beats laced by the powerful and unique vocals of Rahel. As well as “Rise Up” was the point of difference and change of pace on the album with the all male cast of Oddisee and St Louis over an uptempo heater. The album shows diversity, yet makes sense through a consistency in sound, even the interludes stand alone and tie the full tracks together to make it a start to finish listen.

The neck snapping swing of Lau’s drums on joints like “Closer”, “Here”, “Not Alone”, “Divine” and “Lily In The Desert” seem to sit perfectly under the Soul stress vibes of guests Fatima, Tawiah and Georgia Ann Muldrow and remind me that Lau is no stranger to producing heavyweight hip hop joints. boom bap roots aside, Hip hop is obviously not the agenda or purpose of “ one of Many’. Instead Lau proves he is worth his weight in soul. And presents us with a neo soul and rnb gem that will undoubtedly be the summer soundtrack for many leading into the European summer. Big ups and all praise due to Eric Lau for another amazingly polished and consistent album, if you know what’s right, go out and grab the album as soon as it drops and impress your partner or future lover with these infectious vibes.