Francesco Yates – Francesco Yates
Review by Alex McCullough
Rating: 5/10
As anyone who knows me will tell you, I just can’t get enough of that silky smooth sound of modern R&B. If we’re at a party and you throw on some D’Angelo, Miguel, Usher, Mario, or any number of other artists, you’ll be met with approval from my side of the room. Since I have these strong feelings towards R&B, I had to give this new artist a try. Unfortunately, it didn’t resonate with me as much as the artists mentioned above.
Francesco Yates was only 18 or 19 when he recorded this record, and it shows (not in a good way). There’s nothing really innovative or interesting going on on this album musically or lyrically. Young Francesco has a voice that fits the genre perfectly, but his musicianship leaves a lot to be desired. Most of the songs on this short album are pretty forgettable, but the first song, “Honey I’m Home” is pretty groovy. With a tune that’s catchier than any of the other tracks and that Yates can really show off his pipes on, it gets the album off to a really solid start that unfortunately dwindles to an average level pretty soon after. While I’m not crazy about what this album does (it’s not much), it’s really not too bad. Yates has a killer voice, and with some experience and practice, he might turn out to be a decent R&B artist.
FCC Violations: None
Recommended tracks: #1 (Honey I’m Home), #6 (When I Found You)
RIYL: Mario, Ne-Yo, Usher
