Review: "Shine" Album by TNV (That New Vessel)
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“Shine” is the newest album from Detroit rapper TNV (That New Vessel) and his second release for 2020, the first being “Dirty Beautiful”. Throughout the course of 16 tracks (17 if you count the bonus track “Peace” available on the album’s Bandcamp page), TNV delivers motivational, uplifting anthems whilst examining his godly faith and the righteous, positive path he currently walks.
With this being my first listen to TNV’s work, I was thoroughly impressed by the thematic diversity, thoughtful wordplay and relatability he brought to this record. Yes, he delivers his fair share of inspirational cuts like the title track “Shine” (which features a fantastic verse from G.O.A.T - destined Brooklyn rapper Skyzoo), the lead single “Diamonds” and the incredibly moving “Motivated”. But his main focus involves rising over one’s social and moral circumstances in order to bring about internal and external change, even though it may seem like it’s too late (“Hurry Up”), overwhelming (“Only Now”) or difficult to the point of losing hope (“I Can’t Breathe”).
Though TNV isn’t afraid to express his Christian faith (like on “Point GOD” which features an excellent basketball-referencing verse from guest rapper Jered Sanders), he also exhibits fearlessness in revealing his past mistakes (which he does on tracks like the Common-sampling “Doin’ It”, the slightly disenchanted “Losing Myself” and the aptly-titled “Mistakes”) and personality flaws (like on the ego-centered “Get Over”).
The one main disappointment I had with “Shine” was the roughly 3-minute duration of each track. Even with its overall runtime being under an hour, the album does feel a tad bit overstuffed due to its lengthy track listing. And with every listen I gave this album, I still found myself wishing that at least one song could’ve crossed the 4 or even 5-minute mark.
Regardless, I still enjoyed “Shine”. I can imagine this album connecting more with die-hard fans of conscious hip hop than the average, trendy sound-seeking listener. But if you like your hip hop with depth and meaning – along with sharp wordplay and dope beats, of course – “Shine” is certainly worth the listen.