The Foreign Exchange
Love in Flying Colors
Electronic hip hop
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Rapper/singer Phonte and producer Nicolay return as The Foreign Exchange with its fifth album Love in Flying Colors. On the album, the duo produces a thumping mix of electronica, R&B and hip hop.
Poppy and soulful at times, exhilarating and poignant at others, this new release further proves that the separate styles of the two synchronize well.
Owing to the collaborators wildly different backgrounds, Flying Colors contains a varied set of tracks like the dance club oriented “The Moment” and the soulful, piano-based “Better.” Both songs are instantly catchy and convey the multiplicity of the group.
A similar highlight is the upbeat “On a Day Like Today,” a track that sounds straight out of the ‘80s with its snapping electric piano and Phonte’s mellow free verse.
However, exploring new genres isn’t always successful on this record. Take “Listen to the Rain,” a slower ballad featuring acoustic elements. Phonte’s voice doesn’t fit well with the touching lyrics, and he never quite reaches the necessary vocal range.
Phonte, harkening back to his days with Durham rap group Little Brother, truly excels when he’s rapping. His voice isn’t particularly special, but it does work on tracks like “Call It Home.”
Some of the songs are overproduced and exceedingly long with too many instruments flying around and several differing vocalists cluttering the whole affair.
Opener “If I Knew Then” struggles immensely, becoming much too repetitive and jarring.
Nonetheless, an amazing nine years in and The Foreign Exchange is clearly here to stay, comfortably thriving in the niche of electronic-based rap and soul.
— Mac Gushanas
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