By Jessica Miller
Staff Writer
It is a sad truth that some artists are not meant to be in the spotlight, as proven by Mikky Ekko in his first album, “Time.”
In “Time,” Ekko demonstrates promising vocal performance but fails to impress listeners with mediocre production and bland songs. Despite a few moderately enjoyable tracks, the album is weak overall as it suffers from both monotonous beats and unfitting instrumentals.
Ekko is an alternative pop artist from Louisiana. He was exposed to the music industry after collaborating with Rihanna on her song, “Stay,” which was released on Rihanna’s album “Unapologetic” in 2012. Since then, he released singles including “Kids” and “Smile,” both of which are featured on his new album.
“Time” is his first full-length album that he produced with Clams Casino, Stargate and Benny Blanco, who have all produced songs with popular artists such as Rihanna and Katy Perry.
Despite Ekko’s talented voice, the album compilation still does not meet its full potential. The album is constructed poorly with slow songs that carry repetitive, soft tunes and lifeless beats, making the tracks repetitive. The music contains awkward instrumentals, including harsh keyboard and dramatic drumming.
In “Riot,” Ekko’s high-pitched vocals sound strained and whiny over chaotic drumming. The song matches its title perfectly, as it truly sounds as destructive as a riot. It is so unorganized and awkwardly constructed to the point where it is mundane and difficult to listen to.
Another faulty song on the album is “Pressure Pills,” which contains strange background instrumentals that have no progression and seem out of place. Ekko’s vocals are so quiet in this song that the lyrics are hard to make out, making the music only consist of gawky beats and random keyboard sounds.
One of the few strong songs on the album is “Smile.” This song contains Ekko’s soft vocals once again, but this time he combines it with more animated beats and a catchier chorus. The drumming progresses throughout the song smoothly, and it is one of the few songs on the album that is memorable. It may be the only illustration of future potential in music-making.
Generally, the album is poorly produced with a lack of compelling beats and fails to match Ekko’s voice with compatible tunes. Ekko might be better off with a change of producers and, possibly, genre if he continues making music. Despite its faults, a few of the songs do show potential, giving Mikky Ekko slight hope for his future work in the industry.
“Time” was released Jan. 16 and is available digitally and in retail for $7.99.
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