Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Steve Lacy's independent debut Apollo XXI earned the Internet member his second Grammy nomination for Best Urban Contemporary Album -- to go with one for Ego Death -- and prompted a deal with major-label RCA for his follow-up. Between solo projects, Lacy as a collaborator was less active than usual, contributing to LPs by Thundercat, bandmate Patrick Paige II, and Ravyn Lenae, seemingly reserving a higher percentage of his energy for solo pursuits. More obviously, he went through a breakup, the inspiration behind Gemini Rights, and switched up his approach by turning the tables roughly 90 degrees with a host of fellow producers, songwriters, and instrumentalists taking seats to assist him with his vision. Gemini Rights naturally is less scruffy than Lacy's earlier releases. Without losing the off-the-cuff "don't overthink it" charm of Apollo XXI or the preceding Steve Lacy's Demo, it's greater in definition and detail, and the songwriting is more deliberate, with no evidence that Lacy is tamping down his free-spirited, deep-feeling personality. While he isn't above expressing a little bitterness and arrogance now and then, each song has some combination of warmth, tenderness, and a sadness combated at times with shrugging acceptance. The whole thing aches. "Bad Habit" is the emotional and literal center, a ballad with lovelorn diffidence so strong that its candid proposition at the end is (humorously) shocking. "Sunshine" is a post-breakup scene filled with unresolved tension between Lacy and duet partner Fousheé. Lacy is at his sharpest lyrically ("Sayin' 'My ex' like my name ain't Steve...Still I'll give you dick anytime you need"), and his guitar toward the end takes bittersweet flight before landing softly. Although the fun and friskiness in past songs like "Playground" are missed, he does add some different bright colors to his mix here, as on "Mercury," a tough bossa nova groove in which his expressions oscillate between regret, acceptance, and longing. From top to bottom, Lacy's strums scratch an itch with a tinge of abrasiveness. Keyboards supplied throughout by sensitive and unobtrusive players John Carroll Kirby and Ely Rise, background harmonies from a quartet of women (including Lacy's sisters), and occasional production help from DJ Dahi and the Internet's Matt Martians all enhance Lacy's sound without complicating it.
© Andy Kellman /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From kr133.33/month
Ely Rise, Keyboards - Neal Pogue, Mixing Engineer - Mike Bozzi, Mastering Engineer - Steve Lacy, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - John Carroll Kirby, Composer, Lyricist - Karl Wingate, Engineer
(P) 2022 L-M Records, under license to RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Ely Rise, Piano - Neal Pogue, Mixing Engineer - Mike Bozzi, Mastering Engineer - Diana Gordon, Composer, Lyricist - Steve Lacy, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Karl Wingate, Engineer - Asia Lacy, Background Vocal - Valerie Lacy, Background Vocal - Valyn Spottsville, Background Vocal - Vage Webb, Background Vocal
(P) 2022 L-M Records, under license to RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Ely Rise, Composer, Lyricist, Synthesizer - Neal Pogue, Mixing Engineer - Mike Bozzi, Mastering Engineer - Steve Lacy, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, Guitar, Bass, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Dacoury Natche, Composer, Lyricist - Crystal Torres, Horn - John Carroll Kirby, Organ - Karl Wingate, Engineer - Dahi, Producer - Britanny Foushee, Composer, Lyricist
(P) 2022 L-M Records, under license to RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Ely Rise, Composer, Lyricist, Synthesizer - Neal Pogue, Mixing Engineer - Mike Bozzi, Mastering Engineer - Steve Lacy, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Dacoury Natche, Composer, Lyricist - Karl Wingate, Engineer - Dahi, Producer
(P) 2022 L-M Records, under license to RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Neal Pogue, Mixing Engineer - Mike Bozzi, Mastering Engineer - Diana Gordon, Composer, Lyricist - Steve Lacy, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, Bass, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - John Kirby, Synthesizer - John Carroll Kirby, Composer, Lyricist - Karl Wingate, Engineer - Britanny Foushee, Composer, Lyricist - Matthew Castellanos, Composer, Lyricist
(P) 2022 L-M Records, under license to RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Neal Pogue, Mixing Engineer - Mike Bozzi, Mastering Engineer - Steve Lacy, Composer, Lyricist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Matt Martians, Producer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Matthew Martin, Composer, Lyricist - John Carroll Kirby, Composer, Lyricist, Synthesizer - Karl Wingate, Engineer - Steve Lacy & Matt Martians, AssociatedPerformer
(P) 2022 L-M Records, under license to RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Neal Pogue, Mixing Engineer - Mike Bozzi, Mastering Engineer - Steve Lacy, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - John Carroll Kirby, Synthesizer - Karl Wingate, Engineer - Britanny Foushee, Composer, Lyricist
(P) 2022 L-M Records, under license to RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Neal Pogue, Mixing Engineer - Mike Bozzi, Mastering Engineer - Steve Lacy, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - John Carroll Kirby, Synthesizer - Karl Wingate, Engineer - Asia Lacy, Background Vocal - Valerie Lacy, Background Vocal - Valyn Spottsville, Background Vocal - Vage Webb, Background Vocal
(P) 2022 L-M Records, under license to RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Karriem Riggins, Composer, Lyricist, Drums - Neal Pogue, Mixing Engineer - Mike Bozzi, Mastering Engineer - Steve Lacy, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - John Kirby, Synthesizer - Karl Wingate, Engineer - Britanny Foushee, Composer, Lyricist - Fousheé, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Steve Lacy feat. Fousheé, AssociatedPerformer
(P) 2022 L-M Records, under license to RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Ely Rise, Composer, Lyricist - Neal Pogue, Mixing Engineer - Mike Bozzi, Mastering Engineer - Steve Lacy, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Dacoury Natche, Composer, Lyricist - Denise Stoudmire, Background Vocal - John Carroll Kirby, Synthesizer - Karl Wingate, Engineer - Margaux Alexis Roselena Whitney, Composer, Lyricist - Dahi, Producer - Asia Lacy, Background Vocal - Valerie Lacy, Background Vocal - Valyn Spottsville, Background Vocal - Vage Webb, Background Vocal
(P) 2022 L-M Records, under license to RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Album review
Steve Lacy's independent debut Apollo XXI earned the Internet member his second Grammy nomination for Best Urban Contemporary Album -- to go with one for Ego Death -- and prompted a deal with major-label RCA for his follow-up. Between solo projects, Lacy as a collaborator was less active than usual, contributing to LPs by Thundercat, bandmate Patrick Paige II, and Ravyn Lenae, seemingly reserving a higher percentage of his energy for solo pursuits. More obviously, he went through a breakup, the inspiration behind Gemini Rights, and switched up his approach by turning the tables roughly 90 degrees with a host of fellow producers, songwriters, and instrumentalists taking seats to assist him with his vision. Gemini Rights naturally is less scruffy than Lacy's earlier releases. Without losing the off-the-cuff "don't overthink it" charm of Apollo XXI or the preceding Steve Lacy's Demo, it's greater in definition and detail, and the songwriting is more deliberate, with no evidence that Lacy is tamping down his free-spirited, deep-feeling personality. While he isn't above expressing a little bitterness and arrogance now and then, each song has some combination of warmth, tenderness, and a sadness combated at times with shrugging acceptance. The whole thing aches. "Bad Habit" is the emotional and literal center, a ballad with lovelorn diffidence so strong that its candid proposition at the end is (humorously) shocking. "Sunshine" is a post-breakup scene filled with unresolved tension between Lacy and duet partner Fousheé. Lacy is at his sharpest lyrically ("Sayin' 'My ex' like my name ain't Steve...Still I'll give you dick anytime you need"), and his guitar toward the end takes bittersweet flight before landing softly. Although the fun and friskiness in past songs like "Playground" are missed, he does add some different bright colors to his mix here, as on "Mercury," a tough bossa nova groove in which his expressions oscillate between regret, acceptance, and longing. From top to bottom, Lacy's strums scratch an itch with a tinge of abrasiveness. Keyboards supplied throughout by sensitive and unobtrusive players John Carroll Kirby and Ely Rise, background harmonies from a quartet of women (including Lacy's sisters), and occasional production help from DJ Dahi and the Internet's Matt Martians all enhance Lacy's sound without complicating it.
© Andy Kellman /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 10 track(s)
- Total length: 00:34:57
- Main artists: Steve Lacy
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: L-M Records - RCA Records
- Genre: Soul/Funk/R&B Soul
(P) 2022 L-M Records, under license to RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.