Reek & Sage - The Beautiful Hour (Album)
Last year I said that "Believe in the Tree" was Reek & Sage's magnum opus, best album & at the time, which seemed unarguably so. Still, after many listens to their latest opus, "The Beautiful Hour," I've learned that these two make great albums, formulaic but expanding on it in inventively fresh ways. Sage's ever-growing production skills remaining the perfect blanket for Reek to float above with his smooth guru like lyricism.
The first thing we hear is the soothing voice of none other than Big Beautiful Williams & reasonably so being that he's the first thing you see jumping into this album & majestically fitting. I hope you have a nicely Reek wrapped joint like he does before you hit play & I also love that who follows is Niko2k which we've been hearing a lot of him lately, superb lyricist, love that Reek & Sage give their people opportunities to be apart of something great, let alone kick it off. Reek comes through with that energetic nonchalant flow, dropping a Fat Pat reference within his laidback bars, just in case you forgot that this is Texas baby.
He's excellent at weaving a vulnerable love tale, storytelling at its finest on "Need It" the previously released "Met You On The Internet" is easily in the list of the duo's best records next to a record like "Barry White." Their chemistry-based bounce is unmatched; you can't help but move, vibes on top of vibes on top of vibes & they keep that southern bounce as buoyant as can be on the Malcolm Whitelow assisted "Real P's." That player shit that Reek is also very exceptional at, he's almost too smooth with it & Malcolm matches this energy effortlessly with one of the most seamless verses on the album. I can't think of a freer flowingly, sinuously wavy posse cut than "Don't Worry" each MC delivers easily digestible & agile verses that shoot their way directly into your soul. Each verse tangibly felt &, more importantly, in house, with MC's that have damn near become essential to their work like it wouldn't be a Reek & Sage album without these three.
"Lyft" is going to have to be their official anthem cause who else has done a record directly shouting out their services, no one, that's who. It is what it is, your bitch, she's still going to side over to his crib, unfortunately, hope you can afford a Uber & as you're driving away. Place your hand on the window to wave goodbye forever to your girl; you'll never see what's under the "Sundress" again.
Reek may be a self proclaimed player but don't play games with him cause when he's loyally down, his word is bond, just give him so "Clarity" that the feeling is mutual, don't leave anything "Unspoken" between one another, "Tell Me", they do say honesty is the best policy, obviously you fakes couldn't breathe a word about it but Reek won't hold it against you cause in the end, we're all brothers, we "All We Got", ending this beautiful body of work to add to their gorgeously crafted & forever elevating catalog on the highest note possible, hit rewind, smoke more & keep it on loop, it may be just under an hour but little contradictions like that don't mean shit, think of it as an intentional extra long moment of silence to reflect on everything you just heard, it 'a an album you can revisit & catch new things each time, other words, dare I express my own bias with them & say timeless, I don't think their interested in making any different kind of music, beautiful music only, beautiful music always.