mixtape maestro (2.0)

When most rappers choose to dish on relationships, the product is more often than not soured by either uninspired mainstream-pandering (let’s lazily sample a Quiet Storm classic and get *insert whatever current R&B or Pop hitmaker here* to sing a bland hook) or the emcee’s unwillingness to give their thug-cool a rest. However, because Wale has no shame in exposing his vulnerability and is open to really digging into why a romance does or doesn’t work, getting a record centered on the trials and tribulations of love from him is always a guaranteed winner.

On “The War”, from his new Seinfeld-themed mixtape (the unsurprisingly-better-than-last-year’s-major-label-debut) More About Nothing, Wale doesn’t disappoint, expressing the somber frustrations of being in an increasingly hopeless-seeming union and how, in the wake of it’s imminent implosion, he’ll likely turn his back on ever opening his heart to another woman again.

Atop militaristic drum rolls that stir up drama amongst some sublime and swirly acoustic backing, and supported by guest vocalist Daniel Merrweather soulfully encouraging the couple to be lovers and not fighters, Wale unleashes several striking conclusions to his predicament (“New love is so beautiful/ Time just makes it ugly”; “I just wanted to be at peace with you/ And if I gotta settle for a piece of you/ Then I gotta say ‘Peace to you’”), his avoidance at giving the record even a hint of the happy ending it seems to be driving towards making “The War” thrice as much appealing.

Probably would’ve been smarter move to have kept this away as the bankable third or fourth single from his forthcoming sophomore album, but whatevs…it’s a gem regardless.

DL: “The War” (alt)

On previous cover songs, Daniel Merriweather stuck with old favorites from The Smiths and Paul McCartney and turned them into winning, soul-toned addictions. It turns out he can be as equally impressive when he averts his attention to pop songs more current, as proven by his latest remake, a classy, blue-eyed-textured re-imagining of the La Roux single “In For The Kill”.

Merriweather’s take expertly smooths away the new wave-y bop of the original for another retro-baked arrangement that shades his vocal in tickles of meandering piano, a light 60′s soul groove and dramatic orchestral flourishes.

And his vocal performance? Despite his occasional detours into show-y talent show theatrics, Daniel is no doubt a solid soul crooner, and he doesn’t disappoint here, complimenting “Kill”‘s lyric with a fitting emotional resonance that wasn’t quite achieved in the sometimes hard-to-decipher, via-crummy-telephone-connection-like pipes of Roux’ Elly Jackson.

An ace rendition.

DL: “In For The Kill (La Roux Cover)” (alt)

Ready to be introduced to some white chocolate heaven? How about a collaboration between Daniel Merriweather and Adele? That’s right, the two old soul-reminiscent vocalists have paired together for “Water and a Flame”, a goosebumps-inducing break-up lament (off of Merriweather’s upcoming Love and War) with the potential to one day rank among the great male/ female duets of R&B yesteryear.

A moaning, soul-baked soundbed sets an effectively rueful tone in support of the duo’s separate accounts of a post-relationship suffering. It’s been a week since the two have been apart and, unsurprisingly, neither have fully gotten eachother out of their respective systems.

Daniel can’t go an hour without the memory of his ex penetrating his brain, and when he finally relents and decides to phone her, he’s harshly met with an “ignore” response. “I’d settle for a busy tone/ At least by that I’d know you’re okay”, he sings. Meanwhile on the other side of town, Adele has holed herself alone in her house for days, and she’s only moved to venture outside by the promising comforts of alcohol to help “forget (his) name”. Unfortunately, in the midst of her trek to the local pub, a Daniel doppelganger sighting only triggers her depression anew.

When the two finally join on the final chorus to entwine their tear-stained cries of heartache, the thunderous vocal harmony displayed feels like magic, perfectly landing the song’s expected heightened conclusion.

Breathtakingly brilliant.

DL: “Water and a Flame”

An award-winning, yet modest R&B/ Pop success in his native Australia before achieving major UK fame last year thanks to guest vocalist duties on Wiley’s “Cash In My Pocket” and Mark Ronson’s universally-lauded remake of The Smiths’ “Stop Me”, blue-eyed soul-ster Daniel Merriweather is now ready to make a return trip to his original headlining role, his long-predicted superstar-to-be future teetering on the edge of fruition.

Perhaps aware that high pop chart placement and heavy radio saturation is likely a given no matter what he drops (especially with Mark on board), Merriweather has chosen to avoid the “easy hit” love ditty for his certain first solo smash, alternately deciding that he’d rather make his listeners think than swoon with social commentary-infused single “Change”.

But for all it’s message-carrying ambition, “Change”‘s lyrics barely register with importance here, too overshadowed by the sublime magical recipe that is Daniel’s faultless soul tenor against Ronson’s horn-y Motown bounce-meets-Rawkus Records’ boom-bap score (with featured rapper Wale as the bonus dessert) to ever matter.

These two could theme a song around the horrors of head lice and it would still probably emerge a retro-glazed, soul-pop must-have.

Merriweather’s Love & War is due this Spring.

Daniel Merriweather feat . Wale ‘Change’

Of all the Xmas tunes that typically bombard come holiday season, there’s only a handful that truly put Maestro in a Yuletide mood and sometimes, even warrant a secret spin during non-Christmas-y points of the year (I know…LOSSEERR!!). Those include Wham’s “Last Christmas”, Mariah’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You”, “Christmas Time Is Here” from Charlie Brown and “Wonderful Christmas Time” that extremely cheery gem that Sir Macca blessed us with back in 1979.

“Stop Me” dynamic duo Mark Ronson and Daniel Merriweather tackle the latter here fantastically, with Danny’s smoove R&B vocal alleviating some of the original’s corny chirpiness; meanwhile, following an initial faithful arrangement, Ronson suddenly shifts musical gears, reaching back into his standby bag o’ classic-soul tricks for a joyous, smorgasbord-like serving of disco-meets-big band lounge-meets-“Tighten Up”. And just for some added modern appeal, Daniel even throws in a bit of “Cash In My Pocket” on the tail-end, re-writing “All I really want is…scrilla in my stocking”.

Listening to this makes you not feel as angry because you’re broke from buying all those damn presents.

DL: “Wonderful Christmas Time (Paul McCartney Cover)” (alt)

Already earning hype as one of the best singles of 2007, in-demand UK DJ/ producer Mark Ronson hooks up with Aussie R&B sensation Daniel Merriweather for this utterly amazing cover of the controversial Smiths single.

Like the inspired collaboration of Gnarls Barkley’s Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo, Ronson and Merriweather prove an arresting coupling. Ronson’s layered soul arrangement is tense with a big band orchestra; strings zig in and out with punctuated horns and a dizzying drum break perfectly illustrating the manic, homicidal introspection of Morrisey’s over-the-top lyrical heartache (“I crashed down on the crossbar/ And the pain was enough to make a shy, bald Buddhist reflect/ And plan a mass murder/ Who said I lied to her?”). It’s like Barkley’s “Crazy” all over again, but while that one sounded like an obscure cover brought back to life, this one actually is, gloriously reworking The Smiths’ upbeat pop/ rock original in a more fitting context to compliment it’s depressing mopiness.

Merriweather is an impassioned vocalist and gives the songwriting much more weight with his hypnotizing woe-soul delivery. When the song cleverly merges in The Supremes’ defiant “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” in a late-in-the-game twist, Merriweather doesn’t skip a beat, easily flowing into the sudden song shift as if the two classics were always meant to live side by side as one.

A DJ favorite that will slowly seep into the public’s consciousness thanks to it’s droning awesomeness and artful blending, expect Ronson & Merriweather’s “Stop Me” to endure heavy playlist replays for much of the near future until it’s as ubiquitous as “Crazy” as become.