DW3 | On The Floor

DW3 | On The Floor
by Brent Faulkner

DW3’s On the Floor represents a ‘rarity’ in the R&B world – a ‘soulful’ album as opposed to an effort filled with electronic gimmicks and a lack of substance. On this effort, the clear goal of the group is to celebrate and keep alive a tradition of R&B that is respectable and noteworthy. On this set of tracks, DW3 successfully blend old with new without sounding ‘out of touch.’ Blending the best elements of classic-soul, neo-soul, smooth jazz, pop, and contemporary R&B, the digitally released On The Floor (released January 25, 2011) proves to be a sound affair with some pleasant surprises.

After an intro simply entitled “Intro” sets the tone of the album (an urban groove and harmonized background vocals), the exceptional title track “On The Floor” follows. The production work is archetypical of neo-soul/adult contemporary R&B – think R. Kelly on his more soulful efforts (Chocolate Factory or 2010’s Love Letter). Vocally, the performance is nuanced and memorable, and the chorus is well written and catchy. On “If I Never Told You,” the group keeps the momentum going, continuing to hearken back to a classic soul sound with simple, yet chivalrous lyrics to match (“If I never told you, how much you mean to me… you’re everything my heart would ever need”). “I Got You,” featuring saxophonist Gerald Albright, doesn’t ‘drop the ball,’ providing one of the album’s most capable performances. Albright’s guest spot may be low key, but given the smooth nature of this cut, his performance is appropriate and contributes to the sensual quality of the
cut.

“Never Met a Girl Like You” continues in a ‘throwback’ direction, proving almost naive to the more overt nature of R&B and ‘love’ songs today. The “Sha la la’s” seem almost anachronistic, hearkening back to Al Green as opposed to the gimmickry that consumes modern R&B. The old fashioned sound is much appreciated, and makes On The Floor a special, more ‘classic’ effort. “DW3 (Midtro)” finds the group acting as if the album is a radio broadcast, and leads into “Out on A Limb,” the oddest, most out of place cut on the album.

“Out On A Limb’s” concept is not a bad one, but the use of autotune and over production hinder it at as oppose to make it a true gem. Sans the autotune and overindulgence in layered background vocals, “Out On A Limb” may have been just as much or nearly as effective as the first couple of cuts. “Yes” atones, channeling a sound not unlike Maxwell, and again reinstating simple, yet ‘telling’ lyricism via the chorus: “All you gotta do is say yes, just say yes…” The production work works in tandem with the lyricism well, not to mention some pure, lovely falsetto that makes the simplicity of this come come alive.

From this point on, the tracks are solid, though not as exceptional as the best. “Take Me,” featuring producer and guitarist Paul Brown is a nice change of pace from “Yes,” speeding up the tempo and featuring prominent guitar. There may not be enough to supersede the ‘cream of the crop,’ but is definitely above par. “Rain” is also a contrast, mixing pop and adult contemporary R&B well. The lyrics definitely stand out, as does the bridge section which proves to be both exciting
and soulful. “I Like” changes the script once more with an accelerated speed and more modern production – this time sans the autotune that degraded “Out On A Limb.” Following one last interlude (“DW3 (altro)”), an acoustic version of “Rain” serves as the concluding track of this overall well put together effort.

On The Floor is not the second coming, but it is a refreshing effort for the most part. Rather than assimilate to the tired gimmicks of modern R&B, DW3 strive to make a soulful effort with more substance that glorifies chivalrous love and exudes sensuality without being overt about it. The only questionable cut is “Out On A Limb,” with the rest of the cuts being solid, enjoyable pieces of the ‘puzzle.’ DW3 truly possess something special in this effort.

Brent Faulkner
The Urban Music Scene