Dawn Richard has been itching to break out of her Diddy-Dirty Money bubble since that Sean Combs-driven vanity project dissolved in late 2011. And on her debut solo album, Goldenheart, the New Orleans native announces herself as a viable and intriguing artist on her own merit. Her pairing with producer-songwriter Andrew Scott is indeed fruitful and Richard seems to have a strong sense of what she wants musically. The album’s concept — the aftermath of a breakup as filtered through dreams — isn’t always evident, but that doesn’t mean that Goldenheart isn’t filled with compelling music.
“Return of the Queen” is an elegant and atmospheric track, with Richard’s icy vocals floating ethereally above the sonic backdrop. “Riot,” with its twinkling piano line and pulsing beat, is very much akin to the Eurodance pop that has been dominating radio for the past year; but unlike most entries into the genre, it doesn’t drown under the weight of the fad’s sonic clichés. The skittering chorus and fist-pumping lyrics are everything that, say, Nicki Minaj’s “Starships” wanted to be.
The echoing and percussive “Gleaux” is an album highlight, and features some of the most inspired lyrics on the album, as well as production that’s evocative and cinematic. There are touches of Prince-esque quasi-philosophizing all over the album, most evidently on the opening seconds of “Northern Lights,” which may be the most “standard” R&B song on the album. “Frequency” is another highlight, its digital sheen percolating with a funky synth line as Richard coos “Don’t be afraid of the distance — I don’t wanna lose the frequency.”
The single “86” is definitely the most obviously Prince-influenced song here, sounding like a lost ballad from The Purple One’s early albums.
Richard cites ’80s pop stars like Cyndi Lauper, the aforementioned Prince and Phil Collins as major influences on the album’s sound. That’s not exactly evident in the music — maybe more so in the spirit. Many have called the album “alternative R&B,” but it’s more in vein with recent mainstream masterworks by artists like Frank Ocean and Miguel than it is Janelle Monae, for instance.
But that isn’t damning with faint praise. This is an arresting listen. While not quite as groundbreaking as those aforementioned albums and as Richard undoubtedly wanted it to be, Goldenheart is a stirring step forward for the Diddy-Dirty Money singer and sets the stage for what should be an interesting solo career. The sameness of the songs’ sonic textures may feel a bit monotonous upon first listen, but this album holds up to repeat spins — and is the rare contemporary LP that may be more than the sum of its parts.
–stereo williams
