Negative Positive
Title: Mark De Clive-Lowe - Tide's Arising
Review: I was introduced to Mark De Clive-Lowe through his Shirley Horne remix on the first _Verve Remixed_ album, and I was eager to hear his own work. And while _Tide's Arising_ has a polished sheen to it, I was slightly disappointed. Certainly, the broken beats on the album are crisp and quick and the production quality is strong, but I don't feel he's breaking much new ground here. The rapid fire vocals on "Traveling" and "State of the Mental" sound too similar; the grindy R&B on "Quintessential" and "Heaven" pleasantly fall by the wayside. As well, some of the shorter instrumentals sound too contemporary adult ("Pino + Mashi," "Masina's World"). The staccato flavors of "Syndrome," however, do help set that track apart, but I'm afraid the listener's interest is too apt to come and go like the tide.
Is the review positive or negative? 