I would like the track a lot more if I felt Raury was more clear on his message. I will add a special note on the track “ Forbidden Knowledge“. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone use vocals quite like this, so this was definitely an interesting listen. Very computerized vocals on Raury’s hook which fits with RZA’s aesthetic ( Bobby Digital). I did not see this collaboration coming, but the unlikely pairing actually makes for a cool love track. We also have the track “ CPU” in which features a feature from RZA. Meanwhile musically he delivers some a very warm, dreamy vocals which really remind me of something I might hear on a Gorillazrecord. This is delivered in a why that’s very relatable and interesting. Here Ruary gives some his thoughts on his life and where he sees himself going. Take a song like “ Peace Prevail” for example. I just find myself connecting more with Raury a lot more on this project than I did on the last. The style works for him, but he definitely has a much different lyrical voice he speaks in that makes him unique. When Raury raps on this album he sounds a lot like Andre 3000. I know a lot of people make this comparison unfairly, but I think it’s the right thing to say in this case. Where we saw Raury almost exclusively singing. Interestingly Raury is rapping a lot more on this project than he did in his debut record “Indigo Child”. His mixture of the pop, folk, and hip-hop genres definitely still feels fresh and like he has room to grow in this space. Raury is definitely still making similar sounds musically. I won’t say that this is a perfect album but this project exceeded my expectations. So coming into this project my hopes were that Raury would have refined his sound a bit more, as well as improve his lyricism. But I did come away with the thought that Raury had a lot of potential. Raury had an interesting sound, but nothing about his lyrics or performance made me want to listen to the record again after the first few listens. Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not saying that the music was terrible. It’s not All We Need, but he’s getting close.I’m not going to lie, nothing on this tape really grabbed me. Raury hopefully has a very long and successful career ahead of him. I have a feeling he will eventually channel his raw talent and creativity to produce a masterpiece. He clearly is still exploring the range of his talents and trying to place those into a musical context that makes sense to him. His combination of sound, culture and emotion is unlike anything else out there today. The hardest part about making the type of music Raury is producing is probably that there is really no blueprint for what he is doing. For the most part though, Raury has extremely good taste and takes a “less is more” approach on the tracks that work best. For example, “Her” and “Forbidden Knowledge (with Big K.R.I.T.)” could have used a bit more of a heavy handed editor. Some moments on All We Need work better than others. Raury flows seamlessly between the worlds of soul, jazz, experimental folk, spoken word and hip hop. His debut mixtape, Indigo Child, has more in common with Animal Collective’ Sung Tongs than it does any mainstream hip hop album. We find Raury incorporating rap much more frequently on All We Need. On one of those tracks, “Peace Prevail,” Raury shows his rap skills, but also brings the perspective of a young person with a long time horizon: He’s at his best when he flows over minimal instrumentation–a guitar here a simple drumbeat there. It’s not so much what he says, but how he says it, that makes All We Need one of my favorite albums so far this year. His lyrics are relatively straightforward, focusing on topics ranging from relationships to world peace. His music oozes the optimism and confidence of a seasoned professional. On the 19 year-old’s debut LP, All We Need, he keeps you guessing and wanting more. Raury’s genre-blending mix of freak folk and hip hop demonstrates a rare musical intelligence that would be impressive for an artist of any age.