Atmospheric melodies are everywhere we listen in the new single “Time” from Leol, and although the track focuses as much on the backdrop as it does its lead singer, there’s no disputing who the true driving force of this song is. Leol presents with the kind of crisp, relaxed attitude more akin to the veteran mainstream players who dominate R&B than anyone else in the underground today, and in “Time,” I think he makes it just about impossible to compare him with any of the lackluster, semi-amateur artists looking to make a name for themselves in this genre right now.
The lyrics in this single are as light as a feather, but beyond their black and white substance, they open up the opportunity for Leol to really flex at the mic – which he obliges inside of the first verse here. He’s got the confidence of a lion in this performance, but he’s not translating as an arrogant singer in the least, largely because of the humbleness with which his tonal presence shapes the narrative in “Time.” He’s backed by Hrtbrkfever, but something in my gut tells me that he would be doing just as well in a straight solo release.
These harmonies are some of the most thoughtful on Leol’s self-titled 2022 debut LP, and I like the way they press all of the angst in the lyrics to the surface without creating a pressurized chorus. Contrarily, I think this is the reason why every string of words, whether it be the chorus or just a standard verse, feels as cathartic as a conventional pop climax would. That’s rather difficult to accomplish, but you would never be able to guess as much just from listening to “Time,” being that swagger is the order of the day here (next to brooding melodicism, of course).
This beat is pretty urgent, but there’s never a moment in which Leol sounds like he’s sweating the tempo or even the aggressiveness of the percussion. He’s doing his own thing in the booth, setting a pace for himself with his poetry, and no matter what’s transpiring on the other side of the glass, he always sounds like he’s the one in complete control of everything happening in this track. That takes years to learn, but for this player, it’s already ingrained into the very concept behind everything from his latest single to the complete tracklist of LEOL.
Equally decadent and superb, “Time” is the most underrated single cut from its parent record this January, and I think any progressive R&B fans who give it a listen are likely to agree with me. From the hook to the erotic thrust of the beat, this is a seduction song that is bound to get a reaction out of anyone within earshot of its harmonies, and although I’m just getting to know who Leol is through the music of his new LP and specifically this single, I’m already enthralled with the personality he affords every verse to slip away from his lips here.
Chadwick Easton