Since I first saw him as an opening act in 2015, Kevin Garrett has been an artist whose every new song has been eagerly anticipated. Hailing from Pittsburgh, Garrett has accomplished a lot since that first time I was introduced to his music. His first EP Mellow Drama, released in 2015, helped him quickly establish a fan base and also drew attention to a number of music industry big shots, including none other than Jay-Z. Garrett signed with his Roc Nation agency to publish his work. That connection led to Garrett co-writing and co-producing "Pray You Catch Me", the opening track on Beyonce's hugely successful 2016 album Lemonade. A Grammy nomination for his work on that song followed, as did high profile opening slots for the likes of Mumford & Sons and Alessia Cara, further introducing his music to a wider audience.
2017 saw Garrett release his second EP, False Hope, and venture out on a headlining tour of his own, while fans like myself held out hope for that first full length album to finally see the light of day. That wait came to an end in 2019 when Garrett sent Hoax out into the world in March. The first thing I liked before I even heard a note from Hoax was that I didn't know any of the material on it. With the way the industry works these days, especially for new artists, a series of singles and the occasional EP often get released, then when it finally comes time for the first album, a good portion of it draws from the material previously released. Garrett certainly had plenty of first rate material to choose from to compile an album from his single and EP releases. But instead, he took the time to build a proper album from new material, a refreshing approach we don't see often enough anymore on debuts.
Garrett's sound is mainly soul/R&B with some pop elements included and his specialty is sad, heartbreaking ballads. He even jokes about it in his live show, his propensity to focus on the heartbreak. I mean the back cover of the album even tells you Hoax is short for "Hell of A Heartbreak". And there are plenty of such ballads here, from the opener "Warn" to the closer "Like We Used To". "Telescopes" has a jazzy, old school feel, "It Don't Bother Me At All" touches on gospel influences, while "Faith You Might" is a piano and acoustic guitar based gem that exudes warmth as Garrett proclaims, "Do I pray? No, but I have faith you might." The slow burning piano ballad "Smoke" is another highlight, featuring a tour de force vocal performance from Garrett. I've seen him live enough times to tell you, there are no studio tricks with this dude. He can flat out sing, from lower register to falsetto, he has the range and is the real deal.
The remainder of the album delves into more mid-tempo, soulful tracks like "Don't Rush", "Just Because" and personal favorite "Title Track". It's a perfect mix that keeps the album from becoming too ballad heavy and it seems tracked in a way from keeping it from becoming too heavy on the more somber material. Another brilliant new single, "Factor In", followed in late 2019, giving hope that Garrett has a second full length in the works. Whatever he decides to release in the world, I'm here for it. Hoax came inches away from becoming my favorite album of 2019.
Favorite tracks: "Faith You Might", "Title Track", "Telescopes", "Smoke"
Hoax was released March 22nd, 2019 via KG Music, LLC.
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