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Entertainment Editor (1988 KP) rated Kiddo by Jessie Reyez in Music

Feb 6, 2018 (Updated Feb 6, 2018)

Kiddo by Jessie Reyez

2017 | Hip-hop, Rhythm And Blues, Singer-Songwriter

3.3

(3 Ratings)

Album Rating Watch

"I told you I'm a loco Colombian, now" Toronto-raised Jessie Reyez proclaims on "F**k It," the opening track of her new EP, Kiddo.

New school R&B tends to operate in this kind of "profanity as verisimilitude" mode, but whether one subscribes to that performance method or not, it's not hard to find something to like on the singer-songwriter's much anticipated, seven-track release.

Kiddo deals in equal parts emotional availability, intelligence and vulnerability. Previously heard tracks "Shutter Island" and "Figures" are multifaceted echoes of her soul, glimpses of emotion and reason that depict a fully realized individual who's greater than the sum of her parts. The EP follows along this wavelength, as Reyez expounds her forthright views on life, love and the connective emotional tissue in-between.

"Toronto is my city," she declares, setting the locale on the anthemic energizer that is "Blue Ribbon." The boom-bap of "Gatekeepers" explores the potential price of fame, symbolically and literally speaking, taking its lyrical and melodic cues from House of Balloons-era Abel Tesfaye. Closing things out are the interlude "Voice Mail" and the pop-minded "Great One," its piano strains underscoring its all-or-nothing metric when it comes to love.

With Kiddo, Reyez proves she's musically fearless yet frank, ripping open emotional convention to mine the prickly realities that lie beneath. It's the reason she is generating buzz and momentum as she works towards her inevitable and anticipated full-length release.

Critic - Ryan B. Patrick
Original Score - 8
Read the Original Review Here - https://exclaim.ca/music/article/jessie_reyez-kiddo

Kudos

BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated For the Record in Books

Jan 2, 2019

For the Record

Regina Jennings | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry

8.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

After reading Regina's novella Her Dearly Unintended in the collection With This Ring? I decided that I just HAD to read one of her full length books. I am so glad I did. Set in 1885 in the hills of Missouri, For the Record is a charming, adventure filled, book. The Dashing Deputy has an immediate sense of mystery that made me want to know more about him. And Betsy has a free spirit that melds perfectly with Deputy Puckett. Their banter and their adventures are a joy to follow and thrilling to read.

This book was a slow start for me. I'm sure it had more to do with the holidays than anything else. Because, once I got into the meat of the story, I couldn't put it down. Sprinkled with faith, Betsy and Joel's story is a fast riding adventure that is sure to keep you up till the break of dawn solving the mystery.

Although this is the third book in the series, I was able to follow the storyline just fine. I have a feeling that that the characters would make more sense if I had read the first two books. However, For the Record is a stand alone and can be read as such. If the thought of a Texan deputy thrown into the Ozarks intrigues you, I don't think you will be disappointed.

I received a complimentary copy of For the Record from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.