Three years following Kaleidoscope Dream, far-out singer/songwriter Miguel presents an album rich with psychedelic rhythms that sail through guitar strums and dreamy baselines.
While the now 29 year old’s sophomore album soared him into the realm of the mainstream, propelling him to collaborate with artists like A$AP Rocky, Mariah Carey and Talib Kweli, Wildheart gracefully strays away from the trend of electro and hip-hop infused R&B. It purrs a certain eclectic sound that doesn’t echo a lot of what’s already out there.
Miguel reinstates producers Andrew “Pop” Wansel + Warren “Oak” Felder, from his last album as well as fresh creative touches from Benny Blanco and Benny Cassette to help lay down the atmosphere for his new project.
Wildheart is marinated in the funk of classic rock and seasoned charmingly with the licentious boldness of modern R&B. Lax of any invasive and unfitting features, Wildheart plays on the raw intuition of Miguel’s spirit sounding like no one else’s masterpiece, but his own.
The soulful crooner’s home state California acts as a primary inspiration for joints like “A Beautiful Exit”, “Leaves” and “NWA”, which justly features rap tycoon Kurupt. The Cali local contributes some grit to Miguel’s dark vocals that paints an alternative view of the sunny state. The hip-hop textures end there, as the following and final feature is the masterful Lenny Kravitz who jives sweetly on guitar as Miguel serenades his only one on “Face The Sun”.
Wildheart plays on the raw intuition of Miguel’s spirit sounding like no one else’s masterpiece, but his own.
As Kaleidoscope Dream skyrocketed on the wings of standout single “Adorn”, this time around the infectious “Coffee” single is taking flight and garnering wider interest in Miguel’s third studio album.
After being dropped on his three-song EP in December 2014 – all songs that also appear on this refined project – “Coffee” resurfaced in May spiked with more explicit lyrics and a feature from Wale. To be honest, the original song’s lyrics blend more seamlessly with the humbly lustful tones of the track – thankfully that’s the version included on the album.
With the entire project basically soiled in sex, it was a clever creative decision to try and balance modest romance and moments of vulgar transcendence. The latter is most potent in “The Valley”, which is a reference to the San Fernando Valley – regarded as the porn capital of the world. What the song entails should be self-explanatory.
The raunchy theme persists in “FLESH” and “…goingtohell” with every seductive lyric enticing, soothing and arguably making for some of the juiciest moments of the album.
Miguel finds himself in Wildheart and integrates his incomparable craftsmanship into an R&B pool desperate for reinvention. The album feels like a solidification of his role in the genre and where he stands as a complete artist.
Photo Courtesy Of. Daniel Sannwald via RCA Records Press Site
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