{"id":1241,"date":"2018-11-04T20:18:19","date_gmt":"2018-11-04T20:18:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/needletothegroove.net\/?p=1241"},"modified":"2018-11-04T20:18:19","modified_gmt":"2018-11-04T20:18:19","slug":"umii-this-time-lp-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/needletothegroove.net\/index.php\/2018\/11\/04\/umii-this-time-lp-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Umii &#8211; This Time &#8211; LP Review"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>\u201cThis Time\u201d by Umii<br \/>\n<\/strong>released 7\/26\/2017<br \/>\nFresh Selects<\/p>\n<p>Eight-song set <em>This Time<\/em>, the debut project by recently-minted duo Umii, almost works as an exercise to showcase the various contexts where vocalist Reva DeVito and producer B. Bravo pair well together. From club-ready dancehall riddims to bedroom ballads, both shine in their ability to create a sound that consistently feels like a true partnership and not a series of exchanges and updates via DropBox.<\/p>\n<p>Given their creative history prior to <em>This Time, <\/em>it\u2019s little surprise that their first full-length partnership yields positive results. You can trace their creative roots back to Reva DeVito songs like the summer swing of \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/huhwhatandwhere\/reva-devito-kisses-produced-by\">Kisses<\/a>\u201d or their collective take on the Sade classic \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/huhwhatandwhere\/reva-devito-sweetest-taboo\">The Sweetest Taboo<\/a>,\u201d a minimized, chilly version that leaves its mark yet remains tasteful. Joyful yearning and subtle restraint are phrases that pop up when listening these tracks, and those sentiments seem to guide much of what\u2019s on Umii\u2019s debut as well.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDangerous\u201d kicks things off with a boogie vibe reminiscent of Evelyn \u201cChampagne\u201d King, the song aided forward by DeVito\u2019s cheerful lyrics (\u201cThis time, when you walk by, can you see me \/\/ See me walking on the ceiling\u201d). \u201cMake Your Move\u201d follows the same radiant vibe, airy synths and buzzy bass adding a youthful vigor that shifts the duo\u2019s sound to the recent realm of future R&amp;B.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0<\/em>\u201cMasquerade,\u201d a scampering R&amp;B half-time ballad with rhythmic reggae accents, catches vocalist DeVito at her most dangerous. Her evocative, relaxed vocals, tinged with reverb, fit well with the song\u2019s mellow tone. At the chorus, her background harmonies help the tune soar. Such moments reveal how DeVito\u2019s efforts can often be overlooked. It\u2019s true that she doesn\u2019t possess an ungodly vocal range or a fiery power, but her ability to craft a catchy melody or pepper in low-key layers in service to her musical canvas show she may not be flashy but she\u2019s certainly astute.<\/p>\n<p>However, that\u2019s not to say DeVito carries this project. LA-based B. Bravo, one half of future bass duo Starship Connection, is adept at creating thoughtful rhythmic playgrounds for DeVito to inhabit. If there\u2019s a through-line to his production on <em>This Time<\/em>, it\u2019s his bright, soft synth chords. They always seem to hint that, while the drum patterns may change, this project is rooted in R&amp;B seduction and yearning.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe One,\u201d co-produced by Salva, shows the duo at its most seductive, DeVito\u2019s breathy vocals lending a sensuality to the icy, metallic beat, swirling keys and skittering hi-hats creating a soundscape that emulates the double-edged sword of DeVito\u2019s beckoning. As a listener, you\u2019re enveloped in that energy, yet there\u2019s also a feeling that the space you\u2019re occupying is a distortion field, the product of romantic obsession.<\/p>\n<p>If \u201cthe One\u201d feels like an intimate bedroom conversation, \u201cNot Alone\u201d is the other side of the coin, capturing the anxiousness and uncertainty of a late night solo, when your insecurities can\u2019t be swept away by the words and touches of a significant other (\u201cOh, can it be all just a dream to me? \/\/ When I lie awake at night, I know I\u2019m not alone,\u201d sings DeVito, followed by her calling \u201cTell me it\u2019s okay, it\u2019s okay\u201d).<\/p>\n<p>Hopefully this project stands as the start of a true long-term partnership.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>By Brandon Roos &#8211; 2018<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cThis Time\u201d by Umii released 7\/26\/2017 Fresh Selects Eight-song set This Time, the debut project by recently-minted duo Umii, almost works as an exercise to showcase the various contexts where vocalist Reva DeVito and producer B. Bravo pair well together. From club-ready dancehall riddims to bedroom ballads, both shine in their ability to create a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1242,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":0,"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[48,51,50,49,47,46],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/needletothegroove.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1241"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/needletothegroove.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/needletothegroove.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/needletothegroove.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/needletothegroove.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1241"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/needletothegroove.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1241\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/needletothegroove.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1242"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/needletothegroove.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1241"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/needletothegroove.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1241"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/needletothegroove.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1241"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}