After dynamic and energetic appearances in 2017 at the massive Ubahn Festival (alongside music titans like Big Sean and Steve Aoki) and the Cincinnati Entertainment Awards (where he performed with local Rock band and regular collaborator Sylmar), 2018 is looking to be an even bigger year for Cincinnati singer/songwriter Audley. This Friday, he is releasing his latest solo effort, Pink, on all major streaming platforms. On Pink, the full breadth of Audley’s talents — particularly from a performance and songwriting standpoint — is on glorious display, shining the spotlight on his growth and transformation as an artist over the past couple of years.
Getting his start performing on Hip Hop bills around town, Audley gradually expanded his bookings to include shows at Rock clubs with local Indie bands like The Yugos and the aforementioned Sylmar. Like the most recent funkadelic work of Childish Gambino, Pink also moves away from a strictly Hip Hop format, exploding like a Technicolor dreamcoat threaded with elements of Neo Soul and modern/classic R&B and Pop.
Pink’s first single, the hyper-infectious “Game Over,” is a slinky, smoky Soul/R&B jam that is buoyed by atmospheric, jazzy electronics and keys, a deep bass groove and Audley’s soulful, elastic vocals. Likewise, “Hee” is a slow-burner in the spirit of D’Angelo, while “Soldiers” lurches on a throbbing bass line as Audley fluctuates between singing and rapping.
Hip Hop is still deeply ingrained in Audley’s creative personality, manifesting itself often in the production (via the low-rumbling bass, kinetic beats and hypnotic loops). Pink’s recent single “Cathedral” is the album’s most overtly Hip Hop cut, showcasing Audley’s talents as an MC, but sonically retaining the sensual tone of the other tracks, a testament to Audley’s bigger-picture artistry.
Beginning Friday, Pink is available on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music and Tidal. For more on Audley, visit facebook.com/audleyglove.
This article appears in Jan 17-24, 2018.
