Urban World

Ryan Leslie

Often when listening to a debut artist's new album one subconsciously tries to compare the newcomers sound to someone else's. Not the greatest approach, I guess its human nature. However, upon listening to Ryan Leslie's self titled album, it's tough to compare him to another artist and as he says on the intro of track one, the hip hop-soul medley Diamond Girl, ‘They try to put me in a box...its impossible'.

For those of you new to R-Les, he is a singer, songwriter, producer, entrepreneur, marketing wiz oh and a Harvard graduate (he enrolled at the tender age of 15). Leslie has composed tracks for the likes of Beyonce, LL Cool J and is responsible for Cassie's 2006 smash hit Me & U.

This is a diverse album; think Saville Row meets Portobello, awash with the ever present synth and occasional bass guitar that weave in and out of tracks, giving Leslie's sound an electro-R'n'B edge. On You're Fly Leslie adopts a Common-esque intro to an infectious rhythm (whoops a comparison) and throughout the album gives glimpses of his rhyming skills. However, he hands the mic to Fabolous in Addiction, a sexy mid-tempo number and for added spice Cassie - his protégé, features on the hypnotic chorus.

The album allows Leslie to showcase his vocal range, take Valentine, where he hits the high notes and falls into a warm falsetto in the snap of a finger. Up-tempo offering Quicksand emphasises Leslie's production skills, with a complex arrangement of sounds making the tune somewhat tangible. If you are an avid radio listener you will recognise a few of the tracks on this debut such as Diamond Girl, Addiction, How It's Supposed to Be and Just Right, you know the one ‘...baby you're my cure, you're my remedy'.

Ryan Leslie will definitely compliment your music collection. Gibberish, the last track on the album has left me baffled though. The name says it all. Is that a vocoder, another language, talking in tongues? Will be interesting to see him perform this one live; I can only make out a few sentences, how will he ever remember the words/sounds?