Jazz is a genre that envelopes the listener. Whether it creeps into your ear and tugs at your heartstrings, or it bursts onto the scene and gets you moving, the feelings it gives to the listener are undeniable. Welcome To Doc City, however, redefines this feeling by doubling down on the powerful urban-style blues and bouncy ragtime influences and combining them with modern sensibilities and R&B influences. This produces an incredibly engrossing listening experience that will grab your attention from the top.
“What Love Is” has a smooth intro that lets the track ride on a wave of buttery saxophone and subtle pianos. The percussion gives punch to the track when it needs it while the bassline’s sensual groove pulls it all together like a neat bow on top of an excellent jazz package. The solo around the 2:40 mark makes the perfect impression and is the perfect compliment to the engrossing sounds on the track, as if it’s the point in which the listener takes the full plunge into “What Love Is.” The vocals of Evelyn Wright are also undeniably gripping, as the alluring charm of her voice feels like a warm embrace from a lover. Lines such as “it was new to me, I wanted you to be, the first to make me see what love is” feels like small tugs on the sheet from an eager lover when set up with the beautiful backdrop of the buttery smooth jazz behind it. A very engrossing intro track to the album that lets the listener know immediately what it’s all about.
“Did You Choose?” uses a wavy guitar groove that establishes the aesthetic as the piano whimsically rushes from behind to follow it, as if it needs to get in its piece before the track starts. It’s the perfect setup to the full instrumental collaboration of the track as it whisks you away after being set up by the playful intro. The piano holds the track together from behind and gives you a good groove to move your shoulders to, while your head bobs to the popping percussions, giving the track a very lively aesthetic that is easy to simply fall into subconsciously. Lyrically, the track is a call to action rooted by a belief in modern social justice. Lines such as “no one is an innocent bystander, we all lose when agency and humanity towards anyone is compromised” and evoking quotes from figures such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are powerful messages when absorbed, especially when it follows questions such as “did you choose where you were born?” These qualities give “Did You Choose?” a presence that stands out among the rest on the album so far.
“Sweetest Taboo” explodes onto the scene with a lively pounding of the drums as the rest of the instrumentals pour in. The result is a groovy beat that hits the ground running and does a great job of rolling out the red carpet for the powerful vocals. The bass grooves in an unrelenting flow through the track, making it easy to move your body to. The percussions always feel on-point, whether they’re jammin on the snare or creating an explosion to inject the track with more life while the guitar riffs give it all a slick feeling. The hip-hop influence goes full-force around the 2:10 mark with a rap track that serves as a fantastic juxtaposition between the soul-filled vocals that fill the rest of the track with lines such as “you give me the sweetest taboo, that’s why I’m still in love with you.” “Sweetest Taboo” is a stand-out track that is hard to not listen to twice and is doubly hard to not move to the groove it lays down. For those who really want to move to the music, the dance mix of this track is another one not to be ignored as it adds even more musical surprises and a fantastic ambient outro.
The groovy guitar of “Your Ego Too” commands the track and acts as the perfect grounding for all the synths and auto tuned vocals that surround this stand-out track. The percussions pop and give the track a nice bounce, especially when backed by the bassline that isn’t afraid to bounce even lower than the drums that feels like it slides across the track rather than go into the depths of it. Lyrically, the track is one overcoming selfishness. This is clearly illustrated in lines such as “It’s time to get over praisin’ you, it’s time to get over your ego, too” and tough-love proclamations such as “nobody cares about the brand you use, nobody wants to hear your attitude” along with “you always want someone kissin’ your rear, being treated the same is your greatest fear.” It’s a very in-your-face track with a very groovy aesthetic that stands out because of its memorable attitude.
Welcome To Doc City is the quintessential modern jazz album. It’s full of eclectic sounds and inspired grooves that are brought to life by breathtaking vocal performances that range from sensual to soulful. Each track is packed with passion that immerses you from the first moments of listening and is difficult to break away from once you start, especially for a fan of the genre. Tracks such as “What Love Is” and “What’ll I Do?” are full of palpable love and compassion while others offer powerful and introspective messages such as “Did You Choose?” Others such as “Sweetest Taboo” will get you moving with a sexy beat that can’t be ignored, giving the album an incredibly alluring charm and a defined personality. There isn’t a person I wouldn’t recommend this album to, as each track adds a new dimension to its’ charm. Don’t skip this one, especially if you like jazz even a little bit.
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