Elle. O. V. E. This Girl (A Cherry On Top Review)

8 out of 10 cherries

If we had to hand out accolades for the current freshman class of new artists, then Elle Varner would definitely be awarded class favorite. She has a style dipped in vintage, and left to dry out in new school hip-hop. Is she a hip-hop artist? By no means, but the production and musical direction of this effort might confuse the untrained ear. Elle is all about hip-hop, but mainly the soul of it, and she showcases this all throughout her debut mixtape, Conversational Lush.

From the jump, Elle recognizes her strength, which is melody. “WTF” is a pop friendly track that makes no enemies beautifully performed on a hard edged beat. “Feel Like A Woman” is awesome; it’s island soul done right. The mood is reggae, but the performance is easy listening. “Do You Want To” delves into hip-hop’s other regions à la the beloved Amy Winehouse. A heavy drum met with soulful harmonies makes for this gem. “Refill” is all R&B, but done right. Although its only an interlude, its delivery and composition could carry it the distance. “Runaway” is dope. Just Blaze gives Elle the wings she’s meant to fly with. “Go” is the birth track of Jill Scott and Rihanna. It’s diverse enough in production to appease both, but allows enough space in between to show distinction, and Elle flows through the track effortlessly. “E.V” is my heart. It is a dope girl laying vocals on a Jay-Z track (“H to the Izzo”), and she is doing it much justice. This is Elle Varner at her best. “So Fly” is an anthem for the B-girl. And who are we kidding, we love the B-girls.

Elle Varner is a dope woman. She not only has an amazing ability when it comes to sound, but she recognizes this and stays true to it. We should all be in Elle. O. V.E. with this girl.

- Digo RockZtar

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January 30th, 2012 | Mara | Comments Off |