Review: "Little Rock" EP by Lee Clark Allen
/
Lee Clark Allen is an RnB artist out of Denver, who not only writes all of his songs, but produces them. He, with the help of his band, has released his debut EP “Little Rock”.
As I listen to this project, I quickly draw a comparison to both Daniel Caesar and Anderson .Paak. Both of these artists are incredible vocalists and they both sound good with live music behind them. Allen is no different. Although I’m comparing him to these artists, Allen has an extremely unique voice and sound that separates him from other soul artists I’ve heard. His voice is very well complimented by the band that he records with. I hear drums, guitars, keys and more. Also, I don’t know the name of the young woman who sings some of the background vocals, but her voice is very smooth and soothing.
Allen has a very soulful vibe to his voice. He seems to be a young man with an old soul. The EP is very old school with a mixture of some modern sounding elements. This music is like a mix of old spirituals, church songs and slow jams. There are so many layers to each song, not just musically, but lyrically. It reminds me of the old days when songs could really make the listener feel a myriad of emotions.
It greatly shocks me that this project is a debut. Allen’s sound comes off so natural and polished that I would think this was a second or third release. The fact that Allen produced every song on this EP speaks even more to his talent level.
There isn’t a single weak song on this project. Every track pulled me in and kept me for the duration. The 16 minute project flew by and left me wishing that there were 10 more songs to listen to. My personal favorites are “Mud (Rise)” and “Lay Your Head”.
This EP was a breath of fresh air and something new. I’ve been made an instant fan of Lee Clark Allen and his band, and I can’t wait for him to release some more smooth tunes.