First we have Can’t Tell which opens the mixtape well and gives a good interpretation of what to expect from the next 7 tracks. Rivers, is the second track on the album and a personal favorite of mine. I’m not a huge fan of baby making music but I do have an appreciation for a sexy record when presented appropriately while still providing a provocative and sultry sound, that's what Rivers is. Its seductive but it’s far from nasty.
After Rivers we have Pain 2x, which puts a bit of a twist on a rhyme we all said when we were young “rain rain go away, please come back another day”. This track is something I think we can all relate to, those days when we just want the pain to go away, another day we’ll deal with it.
Bonita the 4th track is so 90s, everything about it. Then we have Chill another favorite of mines, it just kind of chills you out (as the title suggests) and makes you feel good, the dialogue in the beginning was a really nice touch as well. I was really happy to see Karina Pasian on the the 6th track Wu Tang since I used to play her music non-stop. Her feature isn’t too elaborate as Wu Tang is one of the shorter tracks nonetheless it’s such a great feature, and an even better song.
You and Me is the one song on the album which speeds things up a bit and does it well, the featured artist Vali sounds amazing and added a perfect touch. The beat in the chorus is so different and so good and it’s my second favorite part about this track behind Vali’s feature.
Aquarius to me is a track that fans who have been following him since the beginning of Leon’s career will appreciate the most. Aquarius is acoustic, rhythmic, and soulful, it will have you tapping your feet and bopping your head in a minute. It was the perfect way to close out the album.
This album on a lot of tracks gives off a Jeff Bernat feel for me and that’s definitely a compliment. I think on Metro Hearts we kind of heard Leon searching for his sound and this mixtape to me sort of determines what his sound is. At the end of the day what Leon has on his side is his immense amount of talent which can’t really compare to other artists. He sings, writes, plays instruments, and produces his work and other artists so he’s naturally a force to be reckoned with. Hopefully at some point in this year we’ll see an album from Leon. If not this mixtape should be enough to hold us over.
Listen to and download V1bes below via DatPiff