Music
REVIEW: The Foreign Exchange - Tales from the Land of Milk and Honey
The Foreign Exchange, a collaboration birthed through Okayplayer’s message boards, first showcased the unlikely pairing of Phonte Coleman (Little Brother) and Dutch DJ Nicolay on 2004’s eclectic Connected. Four albums and eleven years later, their latest, Tales from the Land of Milk and Honey, reveals a partnership more free-spirited and exploratory than ever.
The Foreign Exchange has grown exponentially since 2013’s Love in Flying Colors. Past collaborators ZO!, Carmen Rodgers and Tamisha Waden are now welcomed into the fold as full members. Their presence spikes The Foreign Exchange’s danceable blend of R&B and electronic with new flavors. Rodgers’ breezy leads (“As Fast As You Can”) and ZO!’s piano work (“Disappear”) provide steady counterpoints to Coleman’s vocals.
Nicolay’s production, meanwhile, sounds positively invigorated. The aural wanderlust that defined his globe-trotting solo series, City Lights, tangibly carries over here. A quick jaunt to Brazil opens the album, as the syncopated samba of “Milk and Honey” evokes Sergio Mendes and sunny beaches of Rio. “Work It to the Top” sports the disco-nouveau bounce of European clubs, while bossa nova rhythms marry R&B balladry on “Truce”. “Asking For a Friend” could be the first house track you find yourself steppin’ to.
Tying all the global expeditions together on Tales are Coleman’s charismatic pipes. Whether vocally voguing to runway beats or summoning the funky nasality of Rick James, he’s game for whatever cosmopolitan sounds are thrown his way. And “Face in the Reflection” is the latest example of Coleman’s serious progression into Soul Man territory.
Evolution may be necessary, but as The Foreign Exchanges continues to demonstrate on Tales from the Land of Milk and Honey, diversity is a lot more fun.
The Foreign Exchange has grown exponentially since 2013’s Love in Flying Colors. Past collaborators ZO!, Carmen Rodgers and Tamisha Waden are now welcomed into the fold as full members. Their presence spikes The Foreign Exchange’s danceable blend of R&B and electronic with new flavors. Rodgers’ breezy leads (“As Fast As You Can”) and ZO!’s piano work (“Disappear”) provide steady counterpoints to Coleman’s vocals.
Nicolay’s production, meanwhile, sounds positively invigorated. The aural wanderlust that defined his globe-trotting solo series, City Lights, tangibly carries over here. A quick jaunt to Brazil opens the album, as the syncopated samba of “Milk and Honey” evokes Sergio Mendes and sunny beaches of Rio. “Work It to the Top” sports the disco-nouveau bounce of European clubs, while bossa nova rhythms marry R&B balladry on “Truce”. “Asking For a Friend” could be the first house track you find yourself steppin’ to.
Tying all the global expeditions together on Tales are Coleman’s charismatic pipes. Whether vocally voguing to runway beats or summoning the funky nasality of Rick James, he’s game for whatever cosmopolitan sounds are thrown his way. And “Face in the Reflection” is the latest example of Coleman’s serious progression into Soul Man territory.
Evolution may be necessary, but as The Foreign Exchanges continues to demonstrate on Tales from the Land of Milk and Honey, diversity is a lot more fun.
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