FRGN-SPCMN’s RIDE AROUND THE SUN offers a deep, soulful listening experience, an album that feels less like a collection of tracks and more like a cohesive sonic journey. North Carolina-based producers Ronnie Belle and André Jones tap into something elemental here, blending hip-hop, R&B, jazz, and ambient influences in ways that feel both effortless and deeply intentional. For anyone looking to escape the mundane or delve into introspection, this album is a powerful companion.
The title track, "RIDE AROUND THE SUN," featuring Mez and Ace Henderson, stands out not just for its lyrical depth but for the way it merges lush soundscapes with raw, honest storytelling. Mez’s verses paint pictures of struggle and resilience, with lines like “Maybe the science guy could discover why we don’t feel shit” capturing a sense of disillusionment that’s both personal and universal. Ace Henderson’s hook, with its haunting refrain, drives home the album’s central theme—the ongoing dance between pain and pleasure, the two inextricable forces that shape our lives.
The inspiration Belle and Jones found in Joshua Tree’s vast, sunlit expanses is evident in the album’s production. There’s an openness in every beat that gives the listener space to get lost and reflect. The album pulses with a heartbeat of its own, as if echoing the natural rhythms of the desert landscape that inspired it. This isn’t music that plays in the background; it pulls you in, grounding you in each sonic detail.
RIDE AROUND THE SUN feels like an ode to life’s complexities. FRGN-SPCMN have created an album that’s as comforting as it is challenging, as relaxing as it is stirring. This album isn’t just a listen; it’s an experience – a deep, reflective journey through sound that resonates long after the music fades.
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