Review: Emmanuel Jal - The Key
By Chris Saulnier, Contributor
[Gatwitch; 2014]
Rating: 5.5/10
Key Tracks: “We Fall,” “Scars,” “Party”
South Sudanese-turned-Canadian hip-hop artist Emmanuel Jal has worn many hats in his life. From child soldier to author, and now a hip-hop artist releasing his fifth studio album, Jal’s story is one of music’s more interesting tales. Recorded across the world, Emmanuel Jal’s album The Key continues to share the artist’s message of hope and perseverance.
Jal collaborated with many artists on the album including Chic/Daft Punk guitarist Nile Rodgers, Nelly Furtado, McKenzie Eddy and more. These collaborations have led to an album with a sound that is near impossible to define. The album bounces between genres like a kangaroo on a trampoline. For example, a song like “Africa Awei” with tribal beats and African background vocals is sandwiched between guitar-ballad “Scars” and “Every Child’s Plate,” a hip-hop song with a female-belted hook and rapping.
The album includes traditional African music mixed with modern hip-hop and pop, yet also includes sprinklings of EDM, reggae, dub, soul and Afrobeat.
The album begins with the song “We Fall,” a good introduction to the album and Jal’s style of inspirational hip-hop. Featuring McKenzie Eddy, the message of the song is that even when we fall, we get back up. It is upbeat and poppy with a positive feel, the kind of song that goes with the beach and a cold drink in hand. Following “We Fall,” the album’s title track brings a more somber sound. It relies heavily on a shrill sounding guitar part and less than captivating drumming.
Most of the album is closer to the feel of “We Fall” and is uplifting, up-tempo and even danceable. It is easy to hear elements of reggae, dub and EDM in many of the tracks and those are the strongest songs on the album.
“The Party,” featuring Nelly Furtado, has a decent electronic sound and fun beat but seems out of place on the album. Jal’s best quality is his life experience and his music is powerful when he writes and sings from the heart. “The Party” seems like a sad attempt to have a dance hit and comes off as cheesy.
This album mirrors its artist. It is a complex collection of tracks, themes, featured artists and genres, just as Jal is a complicated, diverse musician and citizen of the world. While The Key won’t be making its way up to the top of the charts, songs like “We Fall” and “Scars” offer music with a powerful message, something that is often times lacking today.
