to listen or purchase
Sometimes the title of an album reads like something that was made by committee. ‘We had to name it something, so let's call it ....' Then, there is Eric McCaine's (aka eM) Perseverance. The title of McCaine's debut solo album says something about what McCaine had to go through to release this record. McCaine is another one of those artists who has been around for years. He's produced music for artists such as Keith Sweat, Eve and LL Kool J. McCaine created music as member of the hip-hop/R&B group Entouch. McCaine suffered the same indignities as other artists at the hands of record labels and producers over the course of a 30 year career, and he's still making music. In other words, he persevered. Perseverance is a mix of slow bedroom jams, mid tempo love songs and inspirational jams. For the most part, McCaine's is more comfortable with the love songs - both from an arrangement and lyrical standpoint.
Sometimes the title of an album reads like something that was made by committee. ‘We had to name it something, so let's call it ....' Then, there is Eric McCaine's (aka eM) Perseverance. The title of McCaine's debut solo album says something about what McCaine had to go through to release this record. McCaine is another one of those artists who has been around for years. He's produced music for artists such as Keith Sweat, Eve and LL Kool J. McCaine created music as member of the hip-hop/R&B group Entouch. McCaine suffered the same indignities as other artists at the hands of record labels and producers over the course of a 30 year career, and he's still making music. In other words, he persevered. Perseverance is a mix of slow bedroom jams, mid tempo love songs and inspirational jams. For the most part, McCaine's is more comfortable with the love songs - both from an arrangement and lyrical standpoint. He coos about the body art that he and his lover exchange in the sensual "Piercings & Tattoos," and lobbies an old flame to reconsider her choice of mates on the sleepily jazz "Whatz New." With the exception of the very danceable and funky "Stars In Your Eyes," the inspirational tracks don't measure up. No matter, Perseverance leans heavily toward the affairs of the heart, and McCaine is adept at using pace and arrangement to vary the mood on those tracks. Those ballads, torch songs and bedroom anthems show that MaCaine did a lot of studying and wood shedding while he was persevering over the last three decades.
Notable Tracks: I Luv Your Laugh, Ain't No ½ Steppin', Fantasy, Watchin' Ladies, Piercings & Tattoos.
Lyrics: 3.0
Vocals: 3.0
Production: 3.0
Instrumentation: 3.0
SoulTracks call: Recommended
By Howard Dukes