Hi, everyone. Negative COVID test here. The Internet's busiest music nerd. And it's time for a review of this new Ravyn Lenae album, Bird's Eye.

This is the second full-length LP from singer and songwriter Ravyn Lenae, someone whose progression I have been following since her very impressive 2018 Crush EP, which was a short but creative combination of neo-soul and RnB at points with, of course, the great Steve Lacy in the mix as well, because we know that guy is a homespun production wizard and has been known to write some bangers.

Now, Lenae eventually made a first attempt at graduating into album mode several years after this EP, a project that I thought yielded mixed results. And while Bird's Eye, by comparison, may not necessarily be blowing me away, the record does have some key highlights that have me looking forward to Ravyn Lenae's future as an artist, because it does seem like she's trying to cover a lot of stylistic basses here, really test the versatility waters, and experiment just to see what works.

The opening track, "Genius", for example, is a super dreamy piece of synth pop with some watery rhythm guitars, super crisp drums, too. And while I wouldn't say it's one of my favorite songs on the record, it's nice to hear that Lenae's voice sounds just as good over this style as anything else she does.

There's also "Candy", which is a surprise super synthy reggae cut that reminds me of throwback classics like Junior Murvin's "Police and Thieves". And again, while I do think there are stronger songs deeper into the album, she sounds just as comfortable over this as she does anything else.

When certain tracks on this record do stand out to me, it's mostly because we are getting bolder production and stronger choruses like the song "One Wish" featuring Childish Gambino. I love the super soulful guitar loops on this track, as well as the warped vocal chops throughout the beat, too. Really, some of the best production on the entire record lands on this track. I wish there were more songs on this record like it, especially with Lenae's very many lush vocal harmony layers laced throughout the song. The dreamy Gambino feature on the track is a nice touch, but really the major selling point for me is Lenae's just very steady, almost hypnotic vibrato, her breathy vocal delivery. It's alluring, but also in this context, very bitter sweet, given how this track is essentially about heartbreak and not being able to love someone anymore. With this very creatively painted picture of a guy who's essentially a no-show at a birthday party, and then Lenae cannot spend one more wish on this person, the one that she would have, given that it is her birthday.

Meanwhile, there are other incredible tracks deeper into the project, like "Love is Blind", which in the background features some watery guitars and sequenced drums. Lyrically, Lenae is very much wondering about this person who she's no longer with and why he still persists as a memory in her mind, wanting to forget him. Eventually, she does get there. And that is back to back with the track "Love Me Not", which is a vintage throwback pop rock banger with a classic sheen on it. There are elements of it musically that almost feel like old-school girl group stuff. The background vocals, the handclaps, and lyrically, we get an interesting narrative about a love that is constantly going hot and cold.

The track "One of One" does throw things for a loop in an interesting way as it's an experimental piece of RnB with super glitchy synth bits, some punchy beats, too. Aesthetically, it sticks out in the tracklist because it also features this absolutely fried guitar solo. Of course, it's Steve Lacy that's behind the boards on this one. While on its own, the beat doesn't sound like a lot, Lenae's vocals really do light it up as she sings about and describes a love that's emotionally complicated. Both people are entering into it with past baggage and hurts.

Things then get even more thoughtful on the track "Pilot", which is an introspective ballad with Lenae singing about trying to find her place in the world at such a young age and feeling like she doesn't really have a full sense of herself and her life as of right now, which given that she is still operating within very much a budding music career, pretty much tracks.

But yeah, overall, this thing is a very cut and dry 11 tracks, 39 minutes, very inconspicuous finish and start, with maybe the biggest misstep along the journey of the album being "Bad Idea", as I don't think the thumping beats and swirling synthesizers match up all that well with Lenae's staccato vocal shots. The whole track has such a scant structure, too, that it feels like it's just barely finished and ends out of nowhere.

But outside of that, a majority of the songs on this thing I thought were pretty good. Definitely enough to make me wonder what she is going to do next. But I'd be lying if I said that this record felt like it ended up being more than the sum of its parts in any way, because it really doesn't. I mean, it falls flat as an overall experience, I think, with many tracks that pale in comparison to others.

And there's not really a whole lot of aesthetic or stylistic cohesion across the album either, which is why I'm feeling a strong six on this thing.

Anthony Fantano. Ravyn Lenae. Forever.