Music lovers everywhere are always looking for that album that is the perfect masterpiece, one that plays from start to finish without touching your player. Bilal's First Born Second is one such album that speaks to every possible emotion that one might have, not only in relationships but in life in general. Bilal puts the extra effort in to make life songs instead of just love songs, with enough soul, jazz, and rock infused to please the most eccentric of musical tastes.
"For You," "Fast Lane" and "All That I Am" are those songs you put on in the morning to get you through the first part of your day. "Reminisce" and "Sometimes" make you wanna spark a li'l somethin', burn some incense and have a glass of wine and reflect. "You Are", "Love Poems", "Love It", and "Soul Sista" are equally satisfying, but standard love songs that are unconventional in their written approach.
The ballad "Queen of Sanity" deserves its own paragraph, so here goes. This song is easily the best song on the album, starting out at almost a whisper and building into a controlled roar. Bilal has a Prince-like mastery of his vocals and goes from very high to very deep at a moment's notice, giving his music considerable texture. His musical backing is always on point as well.
I saw Bilal at the 9:30 club in DC, which also makes me somewhat biased in this review, because he was excellent in his live show, just as he was on the album. He was an hour late, but nobody cared because Bilal and his band came out hard and didn't stop killing it until the set was over. Great vocals, great band, great show, great album. And for the underground 'heads, Bilal's "Love for Sale" is hard to find but worth the effort, with tracks like "Get Out Of My Hair" and "White Turns to Gray" making it another perfect album. Buy the albums, buy the tickets, and support real music by supporting this artist!
"For You," "Fast Lane" and "All That I Am" are those songs you put on in the morning to get you through the first part of your day. "Reminisce" and "Sometimes" make you wanna spark a li'l somethin', burn some incense and have a glass of wine and reflect. "You Are", "Love Poems", "Love It", and "Soul Sista" are equally satisfying, but standard love songs that are unconventional in their written approach.
The ballad "Queen of Sanity" deserves its own paragraph, so here goes. This song is easily the best song on the album, starting out at almost a whisper and building into a controlled roar. Bilal has a Prince-like mastery of his vocals and goes from very high to very deep at a moment's notice, giving his music considerable texture. His musical backing is always on point as well.
I saw Bilal at the 9:30 club in DC, which also makes me somewhat biased in this review, because he was excellent in his live show, just as he was on the album. He was an hour late, but nobody cared because Bilal and his band came out hard and didn't stop killing it until the set was over. Great vocals, great band, great show, great album. And for the underground 'heads, Bilal's "Love for Sale" is hard to find but worth the effort, with tracks like "Get Out Of My Hair" and "White Turns to Gray" making it another perfect album. Buy the albums, buy the tickets, and support real music by supporting this artist!
I heart this man!!!!!!!!! Been loving him for years!
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