Wells, Tyrone
Hold On
Oh my! Did someone tell Tyrone that he should disband the late 90s band Skypark and set about to find his Lenny Kravitz soul? I guess it’s true, because these 13 songs swing and drip with honest-to-goodness groove. With mostly a stripped-down, organic musical bed, he takes his voice where none of us knew it could go, back when we were listening to him croon on about a sweet “Little Starbucks Girl.” He wastes no time showing his inspiration, as the first cut, “What Are We Fighting For,” incorporates a nice little backup choir to punch up the feel-good gospel chorus, where they sing: “I have a dream / one day we’ll see / all men be free / I still believe.” It’s enough to send shivers down your spine, if you’re not already singing along. When he cries, “I need you, need you baby ... I’m dying inside and I cannot hide my need...” (“Need”) this doesn’t sound like a suburban yuppie pouting over a departed girlfriend. He makes it sound like his bones will shatter if he doesn’t have this woman back. When he tells a story (“She’s Leaving”) – accompanied by slapping bass and the biggest fuzz rock guitar you’ve heard since you put those Prince and Stevie Wonder albums back on the shelf – you tend to believe he means what he’s singing. Without missing a beat, the next track, “Dream Like New York,” melts all that soft gooey part of the brain matter ... like butter. If this album doesn’t get played everywhere in this new year, another monumental crime will have been committed. Hold On is about as hot as the marriage between R&B and Rock can get. [Universal Republic] Doug Van Pelt
This album review was originally published in the March/April Issue (#124) of HM Magazine. Order the Print Version to read tons more reviews. You can do this online or find this issue on newsstands.
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