Soaring through the skies of The Lone Star State, news
of an upcoming gem caught my ear and what I uncovered was a sonic boom, a tidal
wave of talent, in the form of hip-hop artist Triillbert.
Following a frost-feasting EP in 2021 of the title
‘The Icy Boy EP’, Triillbert is back with his debut album ‘Balance’!
Influenced by the hip-hop and R&B of the 90s/00s,
Triillbert looks inwardly for inspiration, drawing on his trajectory from
adolescent to young adult to help shape his craft. Beginning this journey at
the age of thirteen, Triillbert has unearthed a passion for introspective
story-telling, a passion which has been fortified by an authenticity honeyed
with raw, emotive qualities.
Currently based in Houston, Triillbert has an avid partiality
for the effortless melding of genres, combed into one distinctly signature
heartbeat of Triillbert’s style.
Via the means of wit-whipped lyricism, Triillbert is
not only determined for his music to reach out to like-minded individuals, but
he is also set on becoming the next stage-shredding artist to dominate the
hip-hop scene!
*
Let the domination commence: the first track we will
be sinking our teeth into is ‘Never Fall’. A monomaniacal embossment of
unwavering resilience, ‘Never Fall’ is an intricate insight into the drive that
one would associate to belligerent rap beats. Splashed with colourful lyrics
like ‘I’m chasing the bag and the bread that I’m eating’, Triillbert constructs
an honest parallelism between appreciating the success he has garnered, in
addition to the degree of success he strives for.
Triillbert’s lyrics do as much heavy-lifting as the melody within this single. Almost paradisal in its tone - bronzed by warm, smooth timbres - the introductory riff paves the path for Triillbert’s enriched vocal delivery, meandering through a maze of tongue-twisters and assonantal rollercoasters.
The election for a more adagio-draped dynamic is
atypical of the genre, however the crisp quality of Triillbert’s unique writing
ability makes it all the more impressive that he diverges from the usual
conventions. ‘Never Fall’ is a window into the lesser known, romantic,
dreamlike side of rap music. Where a lot of modern rap is unrelatable,
regarding its narratives of boastful drug use and excessive wealth, Triillbert
creates the best synergy between his melodies and his message when he
represents the dreamer that is inside all of us.
Although the croon of the chorus is nicely performed,
I think it starkly contrasts the seamless rhythm of the balletic verses and
isn’t as cohesive as seen in tracks like ‘No Good’. Nonetheless, the listener
is ebbed out on a diminuendo reminiscent of a rippling moonglade. No time to
linger, the track concludes with a serrated cadence that snaps the listener out
of their reverie in preparation for the next track.
*
‘Remember me as the kid shines through the broken
light.’
Fire-polished. Mechanistic precision. Soul-spiced
bars. Chef’s kiss.
‘Remember Me’ may just take the cake for being my
favourite track on the album.
Eliciting the buttery lilt of, St Croix songwriter,
August Keys, this tracks opens with an equally mellow piano that melts over the
tinny drumbeat. Once again, this a track that nods to the blazing resolve of
Triillbert.
The lyrics are serpentine in every sense of the word,
elusive and swift in its rhythmic movement, envenomated with an impermeable
fluidity that infects your latest earworm!
The dichotomy between Triillbert’s ice-cold rap style
and August Keys’ phosphene-fused vocals is simply edible. Keys adds a flare of
apricity that emolliates the harmonies between the two, like ember-flecked
spumes on Triillbert’s hard-hitting waves.
Performed in allegretto, this track hits the sweet
peak of clarity and speed. At this peak, you can hear the how Triillbert is
obviously enamoured with his music, something so refreshing to hear when a lot
of famous rappers of today sound bored when performing their own tracks.
*
When crafting this album, Triillbert wanted to depict
the balances within his life that have shaped his character. There is a
celebrated division between Triillbert - the musician - and Adrian - the genius
behind it all. This is a notion that inspired me, excited me even; I don’t oft
find such a tempered vulnerability in rap music, but it is as immersive as it
is resonant with your everyday listener.
That being said, this vulnerability of Adrian is best
witnessed in his track of the name ‘Queen’, one of the many singles to enrol
the talent of Latin Pop-inspired musician, Jai Sterling.
‘Queen’ is an almost saturnine stance on the women who
tolerate unwanted behaviour from their partners. Assuaged by the sensitivity in
lyrics like ‘I easily can tell you’re not satisfied / That is why / I’m right
here at your side’, Triillbert accentuates the healthiness of what a balanced
relationship should look like.
Mirroring the munificent heartbeat of the track, ‘Queen’
is a smooth glissade across the mellifluent harmonies that pervade through the
toytown drumbeat. Honing in on the instrumentation, I am reminded of the bijou
ambience of lo-fi music. It is soothing, chill and mitigating. Furthermore, it
is perfect for a track that tackles the topic of toxic relationships.
Surmounted only by the vocals, the instrumentation
cushions Sterling and Triillbert’s glossy blend of voices like velvet
presenting a pearl. Enriched and seductive, together their vocals craft a
dalliance of cosy warmth, nicely tied to one another atop leisured tempos.
*
Balance is forged from the mastering of hardships and
Triillbert has had his fair share of them when producing this album. Beginning
the project in the June of 2019, most of the writing and recording was already
wrapped up. Lacking the professional finish Triillbert wanted, he signed to a
local label during the early months of 2020. Unfortunately, Triillbert was cast
into development Hell throughout the pandemic, resulting in him cutting ties
with the label. On his own grounds, he wasted no time and re-worked his album
to his current standard.
That brings us to now: 2022 sees the release of
Triillbert’s ‘Balance’, an invigorating mosaic of hip-hop and rap, rooted in
sheer grit and grind! This album needs to be heard!
What are you waiting for?
Triillbert’s Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/51K3J9S2Bx3Imh00ibWm4I
Triillbert’s SoundCloud:
https://soundcloud.com/triillbert
Triillbert’s Channel:
Comments
Post a Comment