This morning I tweeted that the Kanto album wasn’t up yet on streaming sites. I spoke to soon. Kanto is now up. So it is blog post time. I was really looking forward to his new album, as it was about time that he released new music after being on The Unit. His previous mini-album was released in 2016. It featured the single Lonely, which is still one of my favorite songs.. The EP that he released is called Repetition.
You can order a copy of this album off of Choice Music for $17.99 plus shipping and handling here. Update: I do not shop at Choice Music anymore, due to a bad customer service experience, so I now shop at Music Plaza LA. If you have never used Music Plaza before, this link will get you an extra 5% off of your first purchase!
You can also get a copy of it off of Amazon here for $22.50 plus free shipping. In this situation, it is a toss-up as to which will be more expensive.
You can also order a copy of the album from an eBay, as they typically have good prices. Plus, with eBay, you can save a little bit of money by using the E-Bates extension on your browser, as it will save you 2% on all album purchases, which definitely adds up.
What is E-Bates?
E-Bates is a cashback site that gives you money for purchases you may have already made. They even have an extension for multiple browsers so when you go to a website that uses Ebates, it will automatically pop up the cashback button to make sure you are saving money. I use this all the time, and I got over 80$ back from them for purchases I was going to make anyway. That’s about 3 more albums I can buy!
If you’ve never used EBates before, you can use this link to get $10 when making a qualified purchase of $25 when using EBates. You will also get whatever percent cashback is being offered from the site you are purchasing from. Sephora, typically has 4% cashback, through here. Sokoglam typically has 3%. These percentages Many other major retailers are on there as well.
The Music:
- Take:
I really like the funk chords and the bass guitar he is using to back his rhymes. I really like how he us accenting the beat on specific notes that contracts with the beat. Once the song moves into the first verse, I really like how he drags out specific words. This helps create a contrast between the heavily accented beat and emptiness. It makes the song interesting. This song did make it into my playlist, as I could totally drive and listen to this.
- Salty:
This is the featured track on the album. I really like the funk beat it has with the bass guitar, the horns, and the guitar. It has a really nice upbeat feel to it. The song has an extremely retro feel to it that I really enjoy. Also, if you have read a few of my other posts, such as my GOT7 Eyes on You or TVXQ Chance of Love post, you would know that I live for strong bass lines in a song. To be honest, it is probably one of the first instruments that I notice when listening to music. This song also made my playlist.
- Startled (feat. Park Hong & Kang Min Hee):
Taking the tempo down, and adding an acoustic guitar. The stripped back feel of this song is a nice contrast to the previous two, upbeat tracks. Also, Park Hong and Kang Min Hee really kill the vocals on this track. The addition of featured vocalists really helps bring the track together, and rounds it out. Kang Min Hee’s airy vocals also provide a nice contrast to Park Hong’s vocals. They both play off of each other so they sound distinct while unified at the same time. The only reason this didn’t go in my playlist is that the main one I listen to is really upbeat, and this song wouldn’t fit it.
- Like a Baby:
More bass lines and simple piano sections! This track also has more of a stripped back feel to it. I also like how Kanto flexes some vocal skills in this track. Actually, his singing voice is similar to that of V from BTS, and at first I thought he was initially featured on the track. I dig it. This track didn’t make it into my playlist for the same reason as the last one: tempo.
- XX.XX: I really like how he is using the instrumentation to perpetuate the rap. The song starts out soft with just a piano and a lingering bell sound. This then gets added to by electric guitar chords and a drum kit. The instrumentation was mixed extremely well too, as no part of it overpowers any other part of it. You can clearly hear every little piece of the instrumentation. Really enjoy this track.
K-Points: 426/5
For an EP, this album is really solid. I would rank it up there with HEIZE Wish and Wind (you can read my unboxing and review). Wish and Wind still ranks higher for me though. That EP just spoke to me with its heavy jazz chords and laid back vibe. This one is just as well done. I just like the other one a wee bit more because it suits my tastes.
Should you buy a copy of this album? Maybe. Should you stream it? Absolutely. In regards to R&B, this album is very solid. Huge fan of it, and will continue to listen to it going forward.
What is your favorite R&B release of 2018 thus far? Let me know in the comments below, K-Nuggets!
사랑합니다!
–Rachel
