Steve Lacy- Gemini Rights Review

How to Shift a Perspective.

My experience with Steve Lacy up to now was a couple tracks I really enjoyed (the absurd yet passionate ‘Inside’ and endlessly fun ‘Playground ‘) some amazing features with other artists and a decent album (Apollo) that I still have trouble enjoying in its entirety. I knew there was something special there, but I just hadn't seen it yet. That was until Gemini Rights, Lacy's second full release. It's a revolution, with intimate and sometimes irreverent lyrics, heavy late 60s - Early 70s vibes and a first half that is so good it sucks the air out of the room.

We get a slow start with ‘Static’ which begins some discordant vocals that slowly build into a magical harmony and gentle guitar plucks that strongly brought to my mind to the early 70’s stylings of Stevie Wonder, right on the cusp of his year-after-year string of classics. There are more than a few moments on this album that bring that era to mind such as the album highlights ‘Helmet’ with its funky, bouncing bass line,trotting pianos and tambourines; and ‘Mercury,’ with its stunningly infectious vocal refrain over a bed of funky Bossa Nova fused guitars and horns. Lacy’s vocal performance on these tracks is exceptional and really shows how far he’s grown and how dexterous his vocals have become since Apollo.

I looked up at the ceiling as I draft my "I'm so sorry" text
Don't regret the choice I chose but do regret the mess I made
I see you hurt, I wish I could just hold you tight and close
Don't need long, just wanna say, "I love you and miss you the most"

Oh, I know myself, my skin
Rolling stones don't crawl back in
Daddy's faults fell down on me
Break that curse for sweet relief

While the retro vibes are strong with this album its very clear that Lacy has his own spin and isn’t content with staying in one place. A less capable musician would end up with a disjointed and unfocused sound, but with Lacy we get the undeniably masterful blend of slow marching drums, aristocratic-harpsichord synth, and crunchy guitar riffs of ‘Buttons’ and the poppy guitar strums and earworm chorus of ‘Bad Habit.’

I bite my tongue, it's a bad habit
Kinda mad that I didn't take a stab at it
Thought you were too good for me, my dear
Never gave me time of day, my dear
It's okay, things happen for
Reasons that I think are sure, yeah

I wish I knew, I wish I knew you wanted me
I wish I knew, I wish I knew you wanted me
I wish I knew, I wish I knew you wanted me
I wish I knew, I wish I knew you wanted me

The album does dip in energy ever so slightly in the second half but that only speaks to the strength of the unrelenting bang-upon-banger first half. In the second half we still get the quirky fairytale lyrics and lovely piano balladry of ‘Amber’ and the starry synths and slowed down funk of the mystical album closer ‘Give You the World.’ The simple truth remains that there are far more album highlights than lowlights in these ten tracks. While I may not be as head-over-heels crazy about tracks like ‘Cody Freestyle’ and ‘Sunshine’ (featuring a nice vocal feature by Foushee) I still enjoy them enough to play through, no skip.

Once upon a time
There were two lovebirds
One shy, one so not
They met each other at the perfect time
And one just didn't know how to handle it

These days feel so different with the thought
Of you in my mind, I can't help but see your face
The look in your eye lets me know I'm mesmerized
I wish I never met you no more

Gemini Rights blew me out of the water and gave me wings when all I thought I wanted was a swim. It was a wonder out the gate and has only grown on me with each subsequent rotation. This album effortlessly made its way to the top of my list of releases this year along with Kendrick and the Weeknd. It’s the type of album that is so good it reframes all Steve Lacy’s work up to this point and gives it all a new coat, fresh enough for another listen.