Formerly a DJ and beatmaker, Mayer Hawthorne crafted a comfortable niche for himself when he began his singing career. Hawthorne quickly built a solid resume with his blue-eyed soul vibes. For this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I wanted to highlight his 2016 EP Party Of One. Featuring only three songs (the last three are instrumentals), it’s a joyous listen.
The album begins smoothly with the ’80s-styled R&B-infused “Someone Like You.” Hawthorne croons about the search for companionship and the desire to find someone special to share life’s experiences with. The singer expresses his longing to find the right person to make their relationship work while acknowledging that they can’t guarantee it will work out. The song is a plea to have someone share all the different places they have seen. This includes the good times they have had and the bad times they have gone through. It is a heartfelt message of hope and longing for true partnership and love.
Up next is “A New Love,” the song that will take you back to the days of doo-wop. In this song, Hawthorne embarks on a musical journey about letting go of an old love and discovering a fresh one. Authentically, Hawthorne sings about how everywhere the singer looks, he sees reminders of their past relationship, yet despite this, he knows he must move on.
The song conveys desperation, loneliness, and introspection as he searches for a way to discover another love and let the previous one go. Ultimately, he knows it is time to bid his old love goodbye and find another to fill the void. The song’s hook serves as an anthem, reiterating that he must discover new love to move on with his life. The dance floor-ready “Time For Love” closes the EP.
A soulful, catchy love song and a celebration of the power of love, it had me tapping my toes. The lyrics explore the idea of spending time with the one you love. Expressing the joy and thrill of being with and showing affection to the person you love. The song takes this joyful narrative to another level as it celebrates the power of connection in the night, with the chorus proclaiming that “nighttime’s the right time for love.” The song’s upbeat rhythm and vibrant production evoke feelings of romantic, passionate love, and the lyrics remind us that time spent with the one we cherish is always precious.
Hawthorne’s musical ability allows him to transport listeners on a captivating journey through various musical eras, creating an EP far from mere throwaway material. In the simplest of terms, it stands out as a collection of original, high-quality music.
Final Grade: A-
Party of One is available on all streaming platforms.
For this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I want to revisit 2004 and highlight Romeo’s debut solo album, formerly of Immature. Titled “Food for Thought” and released on June 22nd, this project marked the singer’s change of name to Young Rome in an effort to distance himself from the youthful sound of his group, much like his bandmate Marques Houston had done a year earlier.
In the nineties, Hip-Hop reigned supreme, and every label CEO wanted a share of the lucrative R&B market. One strategy was to keep singers on their roster who could deliver catchy hooks, keeping everything in-house and saving money. Bad Boy had Carl Thomas, Death Row had Danny Boy, and Roc-A-Fella had Rell, our featured artist for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday
Growing up in the eighties, I was surrounded by incredibly talented male R&B singers who could deliver unforgettable love songs. Artists like Luther Vandross, Jeffrey Osborne, and Peabo Bryson dominated the airwaves, but Freddie Jackson was another voice that truly deserved recognition.