Tank | Now or Never

Tank | Now or Never
By Brent Faulkner


Tank (Durrell Babbs) is one of R&B’s premiere talents, but is an
incredibly underrated vocalist. Tank has garnered most of his attention
given his songwriting contributions to other artists (Usher, Fantasia,
etc.). That said, Tank garnered his most notable buzz as a solo artist
with his 2007 effort, Sex, Love & Pain, which featured the
critically acclaimed hit “Please Don’t Go,” easily Tank’s biggest hit to
date. 2010’s follow-up effort Now or Never is solid, though does not
have a “Please Don’t Go” to aid in its promotion (Sex, Love & Pain
was nominated for multiple Grammys and bowed at #2 with 102,000). Now
or Never does keep ‘a good thing going’ with Tank’s continuation of
performing a more ‘refined’ breed of R&B with thoughtful, sensual
songwriting. The biggest quibble about the Grammy-nominated singer’s
new effort is the same as what might be said of his last – it has
tendencies to be boring and sag at given moments. Sure, most
performances are more than nuanced-enough to propel the effort forward,
but additionally, there are moments that are less enthralling. For the
most part, Now or Never proves solid.

After an interlude (“Showtime” (Interlude)) foreshadows the effort –
albeit it arguably unnecessary, the excellent single “Sex Music” starts
the album off right. The production work is superb (relevant production
sans gimmickry), the songwriting well conceived, and Tank’s vocals
solid. Specific highlights from this cut include the well-penned chorus
in which Tank tastefully details ‘grown folks’ love. Follow-up cut
“Celebration” features Canadian rap standout Drake in another solid
presentation. Here, the production work assimilates to contemporary
R&B with an adult-contemporary undertone about it. Vocally, Tank
remains the consummate lover man and Drake delivers as much punch as any
of his other collaborations.

Following another interlude (“Emergency (Interlude)”) – this one moody
with acoustic piano and string pad – the valedictory “Emergency,”
another single off of the effort, proves to be a fine contribution to
Now or Never. The chorus is simple, yet catchy and captivating despite
its simplicity. The songwriting as a whole is solid and Tank sings
convincing as always. “Scream” continues the upswing of top-notch
material, with Tank sounding incredibly polished with his sensual “oh’s”
– his screams I suppose. Tank ‘brings it home’ with well crafted ad
libs at the end.

Six track deep, Now or Never sags slightly following “Emergency.” “Keep
It 100” feels inferior compared to better cuts like “Sex Music” or
“Emergency.” The Chris Brown feature “Foreplay” is a better rounded
cut, but feels a bit like a ‘wasted opportunity.’ Sure, the chemistry
between the two vocalists works, but the material hinders a truly
‘great’ collaboration. Tank inserts another interlude (“Can I (Intro)”)
before presenting one of Now or Never’s best cuts, “Can I”, where Tank
sings: “Can I make love, love, love to you/ Can I make love, love, show
you how I do…” Again, one who knows how to end a song, Tank’s ad libs
at the end are solid.

“Amazing” is ok, but feels more like ‘background music’ than a distinct
cut in its own entity. “You Mean That Much” and a cover of “I Can’t
Make You Love Me” atone for the bore of “Amazing.” “You Mean That Much”
is a build up of instrumentation and emotion, which all unfurls by the
closing chorus where Tank’s commanding lead vocals are supported by
background vocals. “I Can’t Make You Love Me” makes a classic sound
fresh again under Tank’s ‘wings.’

Essentially Now or Never is a solid, enjoyable R&B album. Smartly,
Tank sticks to a more traditional format as opposed to trying to
assimilate to trends. By being more of a traditionalist, Tank may not
garner the commercial results of his contemporaries, but the music has
more of a ‘lasting effect.’ If there was one criticism, it may be to
eliminate some ‘sameness’ with some of the material or even tighten up
the more ‘predictable’ material. Quibbles aside, Tank delivers another
capable effort for lovers everywhere – well I suppose women ‘swooning’
over Tank especially!

Brent Faulkner

The Urban Music Scene