NYC’s urban artist, IamOaks, knows how to cook up a captivating and impressive mood as he pours his heart out over an intoxicating beat on “The Weekend”. This is another record for the soul, as IamOaks is an authentic storyteller and mood-inducer. There’s a weight to his voice that is perfectly attuned with the beat, and his terse approach to lyricism allows him to wedge a mountain of reflection and perspective into each verse. Starting with some adlib and some mellow piano keys, the bassline comes in and confirms what is already known – it’s going to be a tag team effort with the kick drum and skittering hi-hats.
The drums hit hard enough to match the sequence of an oddly, but strongly thumping heartbeat. IamOaks is in an emotional mood, juxtaposing his experiences and anecdotes, sharing his vibe. There are so many good vocal twists here, as the beat moves into overdrive, and the chorus into a catchy melodic groove. Totally captivating stuff.
The production on “The Weekend” will grow on you bar after bar, as it drags you in with what feels like a compelling cinematic pull. IamOaks maintains his energy levels high to keep listeners engaged all the way through. This the kind of stuff that will send a chill down your spine, as IamOaks finds his stride, and the chemistry between his voice and the beat weaves into one soul-tingling groove.
His unusual vocal nuances painting a picture with every word. In essence, “The Weekend” plays out like an audio movie, which makes it an exciting listen, while the IamOaks rides the beat and harmonizes to perfection.
Now if you sprinkle a bit of shimmery psychedelia over the whole thing, then slather on IamOaks self-assured, effortless, and melodic flow, you have a track that brims with Saturday night crowd charisma, as it turns from submerged to soaring. Allowing IamOaks to stand out in the crowd.
The overall aesthetic and not only makes the song great, but it fits in with today’s urban music conversation. If IamOaks’ aim is to put you in a certain mood, to invite you to his world and get you lost in the atmosphere – with “The Weekend” he achieves that goal with ease.
The result is an artistic identity that is vastly more fleshed-out than what a single release is usually capable of representing, as IamOaks is able to integrate his skills into a well-defined artistic vision. “The Weekend”, though just under four minutes in duration, presents endless paths for investigation and further development.
More importantly still, it’s is more than enough to make me not just confident, but also hopeful that we’re seeing the rapid and unadulterated development of a talent that has much more to share. It’s hard to say where IamOaks will go from here as he has a choice of many routes, but I, for one, am excited to find out.
Connect with IamOaks on Facebook and Instagram or visit his Website. Download and Stream his music on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal and Amazon.
