R&B as a whole has been ever so lenient on hip-hop, and that’s not a bad thing. There’s something about the mystifying and accessibility found within it that blends ever-so beautifully with the genre that gave birth to so many, hip-hop included. Relapse, the newest song by singer Gallant is a contradiction to that, by bringing in the beauty of mid-90s R&B blended with the soul of modern neo-soul all together in a crystal-clear composition.

The likes of artists like Daniel Caesar have paved the way for how neo-soul should sound like. It’s obvious that Gallant has taken somewhat of an inspiration from such artists, but he found the most gorgeous ways to make the sound his own. Like mentioned before, this track is far more reminiscent of older tunes, but the modern element keeps it edgy and exciting – not that old-school R&B really needs it, honestly. The gritty drums also give off somewhat of a lo-fi vibe, but the soaring chords and hypnotizing harmonies are really the focus, and what sets the mood best. A lot of the harmonies are simply octaves layered on top of one another, but the voices caressing the track in the back are what feels the most divine. Gallant’s voice is as smooth as a skating rink, and the melodies are the sharpest blades there are as they traverse it. While most of the production relies on this really fat, mid-heavy tone, there’s a surprising acoustic guitar that quickly slides in about half-way through the song, and subtly inviting a piano, some string pads, and eventually the fully-fledged cello bringing the song to a dreamy end. As a whole, this composition is genius to say the least, and its execution is as close to flawless as one could get, to be frank. It’s highly replayable, and very emotional. It emulates the mood that was so perfectly mastered by Daniel Caesar, all the while providing a whole new sound to that kind of sound.

I normally try to spit the words as soon as they come out when experiencing a song for the first time – it’s the beauty of having a platform to voice my opinions on music. What you’re reading is the immediate thoughts that I get as I familiarize myself with a tune. This song, however, took me a few listens before putting word to paper. The song engrossed me in such a warm bubble of emotion and beauty; it truly took a couple listens before the words could come out, a feat very few songs have had on me. Relapse is special, and I’m sure you will find it just as endearing as I, as well as surely thousands of people, have.

Author: Nicholas Gaudet

Music producer and writer from Dieppe, Canada.