MUSIC REVIEW: LECRAE’S RESTORATION ALBUM

Mr. Blue, Mr. Green, Massa Red, Dear Music fan, and lover – This is Cyan Music; take a seat and breathe …

Greetings earthlings! Cyan Music here, coming at you with another review! This time we are reviewing something outside what we usually do- we’re looking at Lecrae’s Restoration album that dropped in August. Now, as you know, we stick to Ghanaian music primarily but, this was something Gnomic allowed us to do, and we are grateful for that.

Lecrae Devaughn Moore, affectionately known to the world as Lecrae, graced this ever shocking year with his record dubbed Restoration. The background of this album, in retrospect, takes into account the struggles of the American rapper who came under critical fire from Christian circles and American evangelicals who disagreed with his choices- career wise and personal. It was around that time that his trauma surfaced, with clinical depression also rearing its head. A trip to Israel with other Christian Hip-Hop artists saw Lecrae baptized in the River of Jordan, and that was the beginning of his journey of restoration that eventually birthed this album.

The album which was released in August 2020, featured singers and songwriters John Legend, Marc E. Bassy, Jozzy, BJ the Chicago Kid amongst others. Noteworthily, this project featured none of his label mates at Reach records as Lecrae treated it as a personal body of work with features coming from external sources instead. The singles Set Me Free, Deep End, Zombie & Drown, which featured John Legend teased the album. It is 14 tracks long with a run time of around 40 minutes. Let’s jump in!

Personal sentiments, Content and Lyricism, Vocals and Production in no Particular order …

As avid Lecrae fans who have listened to him since his Real Talk & Rebel days, this album was interesting, but in some ways, recognizable as the major theme running through the entire record has been experienced in small doses on previous projects. It reminds us of songs like Lucky Ones, Can’t Stop Me Now & Cry For You to name a few, that encapsulate the emotion on this record. The perspective for this album works best when you consider the struggles of the artist in recent years before the release of the album. If not, listening to the album in a vacuum might give off a different feel. It isn’t just another Lecrae album, it’s a diary where Lecrae details the struggles he’s faced, thoughts, and how he’s found hope and restoration. Hence the opener, albeit sharp off the bat, is decent with Lecrae rapping at his pace, and touching on the things he’s experienced so far and how he’s felt about it all. After he finishes his part, the instrumental switches up with vocals offering it a dramatic sense.

The next song, Set Me Free, which was the first single, samples Shackles (Praise You) from Mary Mary and carries interpolations from Same Old Story by TQ Dat Mayne with a feature from BB King. We are now in a predominant time where artists are becoming bolder in using gospel tunes as samples and breathing hip hop elements into them to create amazing work on its own. Unfortunately, this record fails to deliver that prospect, as YK’s vocals just don’t cut it. The album slips into an upbeat groove with Wheels Up coming through- Marc E. Bassy’s vocals on this record are pure gold. Lecrae didn’t fail to deliver in his verses either, and the track is one that you’ll have on repeat for days. Over the top brought to mind a Megan Thee Stallion record that featured Da Baby in 2019 specifically regarding the structure of the song, the trap elements, and the way Lecrae approached the hook. And though the song had a lot of things to say, the resemblance to the aforementioned reference made it a weird listen.

Deep End is when we get into the meat of the album, and Lecrae poured his heart out in this one. It samples “Deep End” performed by John Simmit and interweaves interpolations from “Deep End Freestyle”. But Lecrae made the best of the samples, delivering a hook that is subtle yet emotive. Deep End acts as the intro to a 4 part track as it is followed by Drown, a record on which John Legend’s vocal performance was phenomenal. Lecrae might as well not have rapped because John went in with the lyrics and the emotional delivery. A beautiful record by all standards. This is followed by Saturday Night, which features Jozzy, who delivers yet another breathtaking vocal performance. Again, just pointing out why it may have been a 4 track passage- this record feels like the moment one is underwater and the stillness sets in, the moment right before the dawn breaks and hope comes through. And that hope is Sunday Morning. The audio aesthetic changes with the record taking a more happy emotion. The spoken word performance by Kirk Franklin helped spice up the sound, ending it on a pensive note. Zombies carries on the happy emotion at play here and takes it away decently.

Still is a song dedicated to his wife and lover, as it takes on a more appreciative approach of the relationship and love he shares with his wife. The entry of such songs has been dominant on most of Lecrae’s albums as he takes time off to talk about his wife, and how much she means to him. Only Human brings quite a delicious instrumental onboard with BJ the Chicago Kid, bringing quite an amazing vocal performance for the hook. Lecrae’s flows on this track were diverse, which spiced up the record. The closer on the album was a celebratory anthem, beginning with a bit of a negro spiritual approach. The vocals on this record also matched the complexion and tone perfectly. Lecrae’s verses were profound, signing off intelligently with his metaphors and bars. He wrapped up this record on a very positive note.

Concluding …

This is quite a decent album from Lecrae, and for those who weren’t aware of what he’s been through in recent years, it is a way to acquaint yourself with his restoration journey. There’s also a message of hope through brokenness that will speak to everyone who’s ever been through struggles. Lecrae invites us on his journey of restoration- and what a hopeful one it is.

The Signature Sign Off …

Big thanks to Mr. Blue and Massa Red for their input and insight and much appreciation to you, our reader. What do you think of the album? What do you think of this review? Let’s get interactive- let us know your thoughts,

Cyan Music, Music Review corner.