Jam The Hype Jam the Hype
One of my LEAST favorite phrases in the music business is “Highly Anticipated.” That phrase is used by every wannabe artist and is the true measure of a lame press kit. But for the first time I can personally remember it fitting an album, the new Gawvi EP does indeed earn the use of those two words. Those of us who have watched him since he came on the scene as the musical tour-de-force behind Rhema Soul, the four-song EP “Lost in Hue” launches Gawvi’s first official EP as a solo artist, not just producer, for Reach Records.
For the first time since “Dope Beats Good News Volume 2” from Rhema Soul (a true hit sleeper album if there ever was one), we hear Gawvi singing lines on top of his futuristic producing style. As if we needed a reminder that Gawvi is a legendary hitmaker, these tracks seem so effortless for him. You can hear the influences (noted below), but they also have the soft-synth and beat mastery that Gawvi is known for. Clearly, these electronica tracks can hang with DeadMau5, David Guetta, Timbaland, and will.i.am. The EDM genre is something the Christian music-industry-complex has shied away from since it’s not popular with the 40-year old mom. The only other group that is in this category is Capitol Kings, and they are more peers than influences for Gawvi; however, the track “You Are” could break ground into Christian home turf.
The lyrics are somewhat spiritually vague across the EP, but “You Are” is the most overtly Christian of the bunch. Reach Records is showcasing Gawvi’s producing prowess and highlighting his newly produced vocal sound, probably for a secular market entrance. Reach’s plan for Gawvi is following the Lecrae strategy of creating great music first, and not worrying about what “market” it falls into by pigeon-holing it with certain lyrical content. Some may see this as good, others as not-so-good. Will there be a lyrical “Jesus” bomb here? Probably not. The songs can be interpreted as spiritual, but the spiritually averse may not get the message.
Production-wise, “Late Nights” feels like something you’d hear at a “late night” Vegas hotel lobby or pool party, but in a good way.
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