Last time I spoke with BAKER for an interview with The University of Texas at Austin's ORANGE magazine, he was off the high of a 2012 SXSW performance and preparing to create the catchiest pop album ever. The stylish, New York native impressed me with original tracks such as "Echo" and "Convince Me" and creative covers of songs from Britney Spears and Nirvana. BAKER has the presence and voice that a male pop star would need in the competitive music industry. Since the first interview, the artist has been busy churning out new songs over the last few months including "If U Luv Me", which premiered on Billboard's website and "Queen of Broken Hearts" which recently caught the attention of Idolator. People are beginning to take notice of this sexy individual who has talent pouring out of his fingertips. While his debut album has a tentative release date of spring 2013, those plans seemed to have been pushed back to make room for a new EP which hit iTunes today.
The new, six-track release opens up with the title track which immediately showed a slight change in sound from BAKER's past creations such as "So What Ur Happy". "Not Gonna Wait" is a fast paced, jazz-sounding pop piece that really showed the new direction the singer was taking his music. With close to seven million views on its accompanying music video, it seems to be the song critics and fans are certainly taking notice of.
Billboard premiered "If U Luv Me" and I could think of a few reasons why. Besides featuring an upbeat, electronic sound, BAKER's vocals are the standout aspect and the overall vibe is simply fun and carefree, perfect for radio. The lyrics, "if you love me, let me hear you say", may not be the best in his catalog, but the chorus is loud and catchy. The artist is trying to make his music appeal to a wide audience and this works.
"Overload" is a club-ready anthem, but unfortunately it follows a formula that has been replicated numerous times already. The voice is strong, it is clear that BAKER is alert and present, however, once the chorus comes along, the repetitive effect on the title's name is unimaginative. It just does not work for this piece. Some lyrics are really great, but as an overall product, it is just not what I have come to expect from the artist.
A promising track comes in the form of "Waiting For Love", a open letter to the one who makes the artist feel complete. Still accompanied by traditional "pop" production, it is watered down this time around to allow BAKER to really give a convincing performance on a track that called for one. "I know you're out there, You gotta be somewhere, Wanting me to," he sings on the shortest track of the EP that I never wanted to end.
After Idolator caught a hold of BAKER's last release, "Queen of Broken Hearts", it was apparent the pop community would begin latching on to the artist. The song claims to be a change of pace and that is heard within the first few notes. The simple strumming of a guitar introduces the track before the lyrics of an actor breaking the heart of his woman are heard. It is different, may not be as catchy as the preceding tracks, but it's one that deserves to be heard.
The EP closes with a remix of the title track. If the original version did not get your feet moving, then this version will surely do the trick. It is nothing great, but fans will surely like to hear the song accompanied by this disco-inspired beat.
Overall, Not Gonna Wait is a decent preview of what an audience should expect from this rising pop star. BAKER has been working hard at putting together his official debut album, with plenty of great, catchy songs under his belt already. Tracks such as "If U Luv Me" and "Overload" do show a change from where he started, but they show the growth of a pop artist. While I personally prefer his first EP, songs such as "Echo" and "So What Ur Happy", to this new release, the new songs will broaden his audience and help him get the attention he deserves. The EP gets a rating of 83% as a patiently wait to sink my teeth into the highly anticipated debut album on the horizon.
Tracks to Hear: "If U Luv Me", "Waiting For Love" and "Queen of Broken Hearts"
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