Search - Omar :: Sing (If You Want It)

Eclectic

ZANZIBAR | Diaspora | 03/28/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is my first CD of Omar's. I guess his music and style is an acquired taste, that I haven't quite savored yet. My favorite track was 2 the title cut "Sing (if you want to)". Track 1 "Lift Off" is a nice lead in song. No. 4 "Kiss it right" along with the Stevie Wonder joint were good. The song done with Common & Co. was alright, he showed versitility. The songs with Jill Scott didn't quite work for me, with No. 7 the better of the two. Track 12 "I Want It" rounds out the songs that I connected to. Will check out some of his earlier work to get a better feel."

Wonderful

C. W. Hall | Atlanta, GA USA | 01/26/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"How do you review an artist as renowned as Omar? I think with the following disclaimer. There's not a song on this album that I don't like. Well, I'm not all that hyped about two of the four MCs on "Gimme Sum", but other than that I love Sing.



The record is simpler than I remember Omar's music. Very often it's almost stripped-down to its most basic essentials. Songs like "Sing", "Kiss It Right", and "I Want It" show a sensibility that relishes in leaving space in the track. Nothing is jumbled, nothing is forced. Moving in its simplicity, much of the album is brilliant musical minimalism.



Created and recorded mostly in Omar's home studio, Sing very much has a solitary feel. It's an emotional record that tugs you along with it. "Get It Together" is the perfect internal dialogue of a man chasing an unresponsive woman. Omar telling himself to get it together over a lonely melody featuring a plaintive Spanish guitar is devastating. It captures the emotions of the situation and puts you in that mood whether you're currently chasing anyone or not.



The only slow spot on the album is after Common finishes his verse on "Gimme Sum." The production is real dope and the song is crazy through two MCs. But after that, the last two can't manage the necessary quality.



With that out of the way, let's talk about Omar and Stevie Wonder. I'm not sure whether "Feeling You" is more like classic Omar or classic Stevie. Either way, it's pretty damn good. It has that big, epic soul sound that Stevie was so good at creating, but it's updated ever so slightly. Some things are just meant to be and this song is a fusion of styles that was made in heaven.



Sing is just an incredible record. Omar fans will love it. The uninitiated happening across it will love it. Now it's just a question of whether radio will play it so Omar can blow properly in the States after all these years. Maybe he should have had Lil' Jon remix something."