Cautious Clay, Deadpan Love | Album Review 💿

R&B artist Cautious Clay shows great potential on his brief, enjoyable, and respectable debut album, Deadpan Love. 

Get to know the name 🎙 Cautious Clay.  Why? Well, because Clay – who I sometimes refer to as CC in this review – is a talented artist.  One of the biggest selling points he drives home on his debut album, 💿  Deadpan Love, is his voice.  CC sings beautifully, never missing the mark over the course of 14 tracks (13 of which he sings on). There’s also solid production and songwriting to complement that instrument.  Deadpan Love isn’t the flashiest or gaudiest debut album, but it’s enjoyable, pleasant, and respectable to the nth degree. 33 minutes well spent!

“High Risk Travel” 

Deadpan Love commences with 🎵 “High Risk Travel,” a record that sets the tone.  How so? Well, it’s brief, as many of the selections tend to be, plus, it really establishes the type of artist Cautious Clay is.  “High Risk Travel” is a chill, electric guitar-accompanied R&B record that eventually adds more layers.  As for the vocals, Clay takes a controlled, easygoing approach, even as he slides a casual f-bomb in (“I push you around ‘cause I don’t want to face you / I fuck up again ‘cause I don’t want a take two”).  From there, CC makes us all ✅  🎵 “Shook.” He’s backed by an awesome, cool, soulful groove, matching the vibe with his own breezy vocals. One of the biggest selling points of his performance is when he dips into falsetto on the chorus.  Speaking of the chorus, that’s the part that got me most “shook” to say the least, where Clay describes her L-O-V-E.  The entire song dabbles in those matters of the heart, and the result is sheer excellence.

“Karma and friends / I’m not so impressed, my love / I know what you’re after / Strawberry Benz,” Cautious Clay sings on the chorus of ✅  🎵 “Karma & Friends.”  He continues, “You can’t even expense my love / I know what you’re after.” Intriguing lyrics on this standout from Deadpan Love. While karma often has a negative connotation, there is nothing negative about “Karma & Friends” where the quality is concerned.  This well-produced and written number is a product of the skills of Clay alongside 🎼 ✍  🎛  HXNS (Hans Galvez) and 🎼 ✍  🎛  Johan Lenox.  The music is gorgeous, thanks to lush strings, and a classy, soulful, throwback R&B sound.  As important as the lyrics are, in addition to some great moments on the verses (“You been blushing, but your veins blue / Could really use a toast / With eggs on the side”), plus the stellar production itself, the cherry on top are those sophisticated vocals by CC. He may be unimpressed, but as for us listeners, we’re totally feeling this talented artist.

“Strange Love” 

✅ 🎵 “Strange Love” keeps Deadpan Love on the up and up.  It begins with a riveting skit at the beginning, backed by another rad beat.  Once again, Clay blesses us with his brand of expressive, nuanced vocals, again approached with a calm, cool, and collected demeanor.

I like the contrast with the rapped verse courtesy of 🎙 Saba on the second verse; it was just what the doctor ordered to keep things fresh.  Also, keeping things fresh, or explicit, is when CC asserts on the bridge, “I could be a motherfucker if you want / I could be a motherfucker on the run.” Woo!

Most of the songs on Deadpan Love run shorter lengths, with 🎵 “Box of Bones” being a prime example.  It’s the first of three consecutive numbers that run two minutes and change.  Short it is, “Box of Bones” remains compelling, with the vocal production standing out.  I agree that ✅ 🎵 “Agreeable” is another winner, again giving the listener a reason to move their body. Honestly, the groove is one of the best reasons to listen to this joint. Furthermore, more mellow vocals from CC makes another legit case for spinning, while it is the chorus that marks the crowning achievement: “Arms open and wide / I’m entitled, I lied / If you’re taking my side / I don’t wanna know why.” Besides the chorus, the songwriting on “Agreeable” is a pro overall.

“Dying in the Subtlety”

🎵 “Dying in the Subtlety” continues the quality of Deadpan Love, again, thriving off a blend of rhythm and high-flying yet poised vocals. This song does a fine job of blending R&B (with a touch of neo-soul) and pop.  Listening to “Dying in the Subtlety” (an awesome title for sure), or reminds me of something that Maxwell might’ve recorded in the late 90s/early 00s.  A vibe it is indeed.  Also, fitting, is the interlude 🎵 “Why is Your Clay So Cautious?”, which doesn’t reference Cautious Clay but rather Cassius Clay aka the late, great Muhammad Ali.  Why I find it alluring is the fact that much of Deadpan Love offers wordplay which is part of the charm.

“I wanna be helpless, selfish, terrified / Guess it’s better than feeling alone.” Speaking of wordplay, how about that 🎵 “Artificial Irrelevance”? The playful title is inescapable and continues to possess the best qualities of Deadpan Love.  The vocals and production remain king, with a special shoutout to the saxophone, which further enhances.  ✅  🎵 “Whoa” is the rare song that reaches the three-minute mark.  Anointed with a laidback groove and subtle piano within the backdrop, it feels right from an initial listen. Add in gorgeous vocals by CC with his amazing tone and “Whoa” easily earns honors among the best of the best of the album.

“Wildfire” 

“Whoa” is a contender, but ✅  🎵 “Wildfire” is the song to beat.  This is two-and-a-half minutes of greatness, not to mention fine use of rhythm guitar. Clay serves up more buttery smooth, refined vocals (running out of adjectives, aren’t I), with utterly sublime falsetto. The chorus is the ‘cat’s meow’, perhaps the most memorable of Deadpan Love: “You’re starting up a wildfire in my heart / Hope it’s what you want / Not just what you do…” The backing vocals are a fine touch, supporting Clay’s lead marvelously. How do you follow that up? Well, 🎵 “Spinner” proves a solid follow-up, matching the consistency of Deadpan Love. I liked the minimal nature of this record, another song where piano serves as a key accompaniment instrument.

Penultimate record ✅  🎵 “Roots” runs longer than most, nearing the three-minute mark.  The pros that characterize the rest of Deadpan Love remain in play here. The vocals are elite, pleasing the ear with their poised degree of soulfulness.  The songwriting is successful as well, though the vibe itself propels much of Deadpan Love.  The album concludes with another intriguingly titled song, 🎵 “Bump Stock.” Interestingly, we only get the titular lyric once, on the second verse: “I felt like living / You felt like talking / Bump stock, raised the stock up.”

Final Thoughts 💭 

All in all, Cautious Clay ‘comes through’ on Deadpan Love.  This is a brief, tight, enjoyable, and respectable debut album.  I leave Deadpan Love appreciating the potential that Clay has and am interested to see what future projects bring.  This isn’t a flashy album, but I think Clay does enough to show himself a legit, viable artist.

✅  Gems 💎 : “Shook,” “Karma & Friends,” “Strange Love,” “Agreeable,” “Whoa,” “Wildfire” & “Roots”

🎙 Cautious Clay • 💿 Deadpan Love • 🗓 6.25.21

[📷 : Cautious Clay]