B.Reith – “Now Is Not Forever”
4 out of 5 Stars
“B.Reith EP”
4.5 out of 5 Stars
The main attraction of B.Reith’s The Forecast EP was the song “Go On,” a hilarious journey through a night when the singer/songwriter/rapper performs, filled with his name getting mispronounced and his person getting confused with Jason Priestly, JC Chasez, and “that dude from That 70’s Show.” B.Reith’s full length debut, titled Now Is Not Forever, kicks off with “The Comeback Kid,” a direct sequel to the aforementioned tune. Reith has returned triumphant and confident, showing off his killer rhymes and strong melodies over rock guitars and buzzing synthesizers akin to Motion City Soundtrack. “We’re at the bottom of the charts, but we’re aimin’ high,” he raps, “it’s kind of hard when they still can’t say your name right! We get knocked down but we get right back up.”
If making a perfect balance between rapping and singing throughout the album weren’t enough, Reith’s songs show an endlessly eclectic assortment of musical styles, such as the blues and soul of “Goodness Gracious,” the piano ballad of “Antidote,” or the retro sounds of “Old School,” sounding just as authentic as do songs by Amy Winehouse. Two other songs, “Wish That” and the lead single “Mess,” contain Jason Mraz-styled acoustic guitars, a bouncing bass line, jazzy guitar solos, and soothing horn sections. The lyrics of the songs are also a high point, showing that Reith can be as potent and relevant as he is hilarious. “Wish That” shows Reith learning that when you give someone your heart, chances are you won’t get it back, whereas “Mess” has Reith confessing for his stumbles and realizing that he needs to put the focus of his life into matters of importance. “Mess” in particular shows off flawlessly written rhymes and rhythms.
Reith’s boyish singing voice, in spite of being very smooth and easy to hear, isn’t nearly as convicting and strong as Reith’s rapping voice, so the album slightly falters on songs where Reith chooses to strictly sing. For example, even though “Antidote” is well orchestrated and builds to an exciting ending, the lyrics about a girl needing to find a man good for her life simply aren’t very convincing. But like any good hip hop artist, the album has a large amount of tunes with enough quality to make up for any slight mishaps.
I highly urge everyone to check out this man’s excellent music, and here’s the perfect way how: B.Reith’s sampler B.Reith EP is currently being sold for free on amazon.com, featuring the songs “The Comeback Kid,” “Mess,” “Wish That,” and “Go On.”
