Album Review: Beyond Muzik – “Beyond Muzik”

Beyond Muzik “Beyond Muzik”
Released: 2011
Reviewed by: Hipknokerz
Rating: 2.6 (Out of 10)
[xrr rating=2.6/10]

Beyond Muzik, a young group hailing from New Bedford, Mass., brings their first album out of the chopping blocks. Well, welcome to the music industry brothers! This information is to help you get better and to encourage you. With that being said, let’s get it in.

Most of the tracks on this album sound cheap. It sounds like they used free sound fonts from the internet. I think if they use a better quality set up and arrangement that they would sound better as a whole. Most of the tracks (even the few good ones) repeat too often with no variation, making me get either bored or annoyed instead of hooked in to the end. The flow was okay. I don’t know much about them, but me being a grown man, the flow is not high enough quality for my listening pleasure. The word selection and word play was a good start, but that’s all it was, a start. I like the content, as it was dealing with Christ and the faith, but it made me feel like I was in middle school. It sounds like their audience is the school aged kids. As for me, I didn’t feel like I was being edified or challenged. Out of the two MCs, Stevie sounds more comfortable on the mic, but they both still need to mature with their lyrics. I am not sure if their personalities come out at all, because they both sounded very diverse within the album. There wasn’t anything heavy on the track, but for the most part they sounded playful and jovial. I really liked the cover of the CD, and I would hate to say that was the best feature of the album. Since I make beats, I spent some time on each track picking it apart, good and bad. Details are below.

1. Beyond Music — Nice beat, nice movement and frequency representation. A really good track to open the album and sets a good tone. It’s a strong mission statement for the project.

2. Be Alright — I don’t like the beat or the flow. It was a bad choice to have this song follow the first song. It sounds like they used cheap sound fonts to make the track. The hook doesn’t harmonize right. Good message, I agree. The beat repeats to often, not enough drops or mutes.

3. Can You — Good beat again, sounds different and refreshing. The vocals need to be clearer in the mix. Mixing is an issue with the whole project. The guitar and bass synth clashes together, needs to EQ them out of each other’s way.

4. Christ Will Not Lose — This is one of the best tracks on this project. Love the crash during the hook. Instruments sound like cheap synths though. Too repetitive, needs mutes, drops and risers or downers. More movement for the track, please.

5. Come Back — The person who is singing, is out of tune. I like the track, one of the better ones. I like the first verse. The rapper’s cadence is different and unpredictable. Track still needs to have some more variance. The third verse has a different cadence and is better than the other tracks he is on.

6. I am Gonna Follow — I don’t feel this beat at all. Sorry. Again it sounds like cheap instruments. The high synth gets annoying because it plays pretty much the whole way through. Then when the strings hit, they clash.

7. I Am — Different sounding track, I appreciate that. The track sounds were mixing too hot (cracking). Track gets boring because it loops the same sounds again and again.

8. Let it Fall — This is better than track 2. But I don’t feel this track at all either. Again, the track gets boring and doesn’t keep my attention. The lyrics sound like they are in high school. Are they? I like that there was more story telling on this one.

9. Psalm 36 — His verdicts, oceanic? What does this mean? I missed it. I like the message, but the lyrics didn’t grab me at all. Beat is kind of okay.

10. Sometimes — Again, not so good track, good message, okay lyrics and it repeats soo much. AGH!!!

11. Stand Up — Faster track, kind of hype. Lyrics are okay, Cadence too predictable. That low bass wobble repeats to much. Annoying after a while.

12. Summertime — Attempting to have a fun type of track. I am not feeling this one AT ALL. I feel like I am 12 when I hear this. If they were aiming to have kids hear this, that’s fine. I agree on some points, but for the most part, probably worst track on the album.

13. Take Over — This track sounds like GOLD compared to the rest of the tracks on this album. This is the only track that is worth listening to more than once. But guess what? It repeats too much, not enough variation. This track has so much potential. AGH!!!

14. Vision — This is a good track as well, but again the synth sound is too overpowering in the mix. Whoever is singing in the hook, needs to come out in the mix, and it sounds a little off key as well. Oh my gosh, was that a change in verse two, introducing a piano in the mix??? Do that for the other tracks guys! And an additional synth in the 2nd hook, you guys are getting the idea now. There were three mutes on verse 3. Why do all the good stuff on this track and not the rest?

15. We Will Not Give Up — The beat has potential. Average arrangement. Lyrics are okay but, not very catchy for seasoned Christians or listeners.

Comprehensive Ratings:

1. Music                                     2
2. Flow                                       2
3. Creativity / Originality            2
4. Relevancy                               2
5. Content & Character       3
6. Credibility & Confidence 2
7. Personality                             3
8. Presentation Quality              6
9. Overall Production Quality      2
10. Potential Impact                   2