C&G - Come On In (Album)
It’s been a while since I’ve personally heard a producer/artist duo in the R&B world that exude as much soul as CVIRO & GXNVS. The two bonded over their mutual love for the R&B/Soul of the 90’s & that’s exactly what you can expect on their debut EP “Come On In”. CVIRO gives off mad Jon B. vibes, from his vocals to his overall look & swagger. Jon even lends his vocals on the track “Brokenhearted” which will shatter even the strongest of glass hearts. Their vocals are like when you touch the wrong end of a Prince Rupert’s drop. The Australia based duo have been around for some years but only now, with the release of their major label debut are they really starting to become part of the conversation. R&B is far from dead folks & these are two of the old souls in young bodies keeping to alive & well.
That 90’s vibe is instantly felt as they take us through a time portal with “Can’t Live Without You”, as CVIRO confesses his yearning for a love lost. He tries to cover up how he truly feels with temporary pleasures, be it substances or other females but none of it can aid in him escaping his true feelings as they bubble to the surface. He can’t stand the fact that she’s moved onto someone else, as I’m sure we’ve all felt at some point with an ex. We get some modern flavor to follow with “Too Much”, where he has to let this girl down easily because frankly, she’s too much for him to deal with. Even though they’ve gone through alot together, that’s just not enough for them to maintain the relationship. It’s not easy for him to admit that he’s losing his love for her but that’s just where they at unfortunately.
We then switch over to some dance vibes, reminiscent of that early 2000’s house music that became an integral part of R&B/Hip Hop for the time. He & Jean Deaux are both feeling “Nasty” for one another so they’re more than eager to move things from out the club into the bedroom so things can get extra steamy. Since we compared him to Jon B., this record reminds me of his record “Bad Girl”, just with a more modernist twist, though the nostalgia is still so prevalent. He’s fantasizing about her “Naked” & not just naked in the physical sense but emotional too. He wants to see her put her guard down, pull open her portcullis to let him into her temple & he knows just what to say & do to ease her into it. If she can just give him a “Hot Minute”, it may be the most pleasurable minute of her life. SwaVay comes through with a verse to help her swoon even further. Overall, this EP is one of the more exciting releases to come out of the R&B world this year & is an essential listen for any lover of the genre.