Nineties music is both criticized and celebrated for the R&B which defined a generation of music. With their debut album “Manifest!,” Brooklyn based band Friends transcend and redefine 90’s R&B, creating a danceable, simplistically delightful listen.
Using only funky bass lines complimented by tropical influenced percussion and acute synthesizer, Friends modifies and modernizes R&B. This use of simplistic composition is key to the jovial tone and quality of the album as a whole.
Friends first emerged onto the indie-pop scene in 2011 after releasing the two instantly popular singles “Friend Crush” and “I’m His Girl.” The band quickly made a name for themselves as a sassy, R&B influenced band, culminating their overall image in front-girl Samantha Urbani.
The five-person group has received much hype and a large fanbase in the past year, fostering substantial anticipation for the twelve-track “Manifest!.”
The opening track, “Friend Crush,” perfectly sets the upbeat tone found throughout the album. Looping bass and hypnotic synthesizer demonstrate the purity of “Manifest!” as a whole. Similarly, Urbani’s overemotional, sentimental lyrics, create a lighthearted mood that mirrors the simplicity of the music.
One of the album highlights is the immensely popular single “I’m His Girl,” which exemplifies the efficacy of pure and uncomplicated rhythm. Featuring a funk-influenced bass line and the acrimonious sound of a triangle, as well as the occasional clapping hands, it is no surprise that the single captured the interest of many from the get go.
Lyrically, Urbani stresses her frustration with societal constraints. However, what is more impactful is her erratic vocal performance that severely clashes with the perfection expected of professional musicians.
Where “Manifest!” falls short, however, is with its lack of variation and creativity in the core of the album. With the exception of “I’m His Girl,” the middle tracks are where the album’s weaknesses are noticeable. The awkward attempt at post-punk in “Ruins,” the unintended lack of direction in “Proud/Ashamed,” and the unimaginative “Stay Dreaming,” create a less than memorable ten minutes in between the album’s pleasing opening and closing.
Luckily, “Va fan gör du” (Swedish for “What the hell are you doing?”) salvages the tone and entertaining quality of the album. “Va fan gör du”, the eleventh track on “Manifest!,” demonstrates the sassiness the band exudes in the first few tracks, tying the album together. Furthermore, its quick rhymes and chanted lyrics exemplify the spunkiness Friends is characterized by.
With a successful debut, anticipation for the young band’s future projects is deserving and inevitable. “Manifest!” is available in most music retail stores as well as on iTunes for $9.99.
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