Artist: Linkin Bridge
Album: Expressions Vol. 1
Articulation: V. Cash
Ever since their appearance on America’s Got Talent, Louisvillians have been rooting for Linkin Bridge to win. Week after week glued to the tv rooting for the underdogs. After a memorable tv run, shows all over the country, and a line up change we finally got that debut album called Expressions Vol. 1. There are two questions we're all eager for this album to answer. One is after all the epic performances, does the album live up to the built up hype? The second and larger question is does this album explain who Linkin Bridge is exactly?
I'd have to say yes to the hype and not quite to whom Linkin Bridge is as a group. Montre Davis, Shon ”China” Lacy, Ralph “Big Rome” Kimbrough, and newcomer Elliot “The Kid” Nichols make Linkin Bridge in its current form. They weave their harmonies throughout the album effortlessly. They sound great together. They are a wonderful balance of vocals that compliments each other. It’s amazing how each artist gets to shine on each song. It’s rare to see R&B groups these days with this kind of prowess. They got style, they got vibe, and no use of auto tune. They are as impressive on wax as they are in person yet it’s not surprising. There are vibes of The Four Tops, a little Levert, and some Jagged Edge, with their own personas tossed in. This is the R&B from the past in the now.
With that being said let’s get to some of the highlights of the album. Free sets the tone of the album, showing you what to look forward to with a nice little guitar solo. Songs such as ‘In Your Eyes’ and ‘Doing Me’ showcase what they are capable of and when they are at their best. ‘Happy’ is my personal favorite song of the album because it’s very Boyz 2 Men-esque. The only significant flaw in this body of work is never the singing or even the song writing, it’s when they are jumping to different time periods or making world peace tracks that seem out of place on the album and kind of take you out of it. They are not bad songs just don’t fit the album per say. Songs like ‘Josephine’ while solid songs, seem out of place and work to throw off the cohesiveness of the album. They are at their best crooning straight R&B love songs. I do appreciate them speaking on social issues and storytelling.
Listeners will enjoy this album. Is it groundbreaking? No. Is it perfect? No. But it is a great start to a promising career that shows they are more then a parlor trick. They sound great now but they will only get better and in time we may get a classic. Right now the album deserves your attention. With R&B groups these days almost being extinct it’s nice to see talent still floating in the genre itself. I look forward to hearing more from the group. Expressions Vol 1 is Dope Tho.
Dope Tho Rating: 7
Key Dope:
Happy
In Your Eyes
Ready Now
Do You a Want Me
Dope Tho Rating System
1-3 = Nope Tho
4-6 = Solid
7-9 = Heat
10 = Rated Dope Tho