Dennis Lloyd, Exident (EP) | Album Review 💿

Genre-crossing, multi-talented Israeli musician Dennis Lloyd shines on his brief, but potent debut EP, Exident, inspired by an intense breakup.

“I write my music based off of real emotions and experiences. Writing is therapeutic to me. Sometimes that’s a single song and this time it was four songs.” Sigh – be prepared to add some freshness to your playlist! Genre-crossing Israeli singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Dennis Lloyd is that guy ready to feed your ears some absolutely delicious candy with his debut project, Exident (EP).  Comprised of five tracks (four full-length) clocking in at 13 minutes in length, Lloyd gives listeners an awesome sampling of what he has to contribute to a saturated music world, standing out amongst the crowd.  In his own words, Lloyd describes Exident: “It’s about the phases I experienced following an intense breakup and I’m hoping those who have experienced heartbreak connect to it in their own personal way.”

“Introducción”

“Recuerdo el tiempo contigo / Los buenos tiempos, los malos tiempos / Lo siento por lo que estoy a punto de decir, mi amor / ‘Te amo,’ discúlpame.” “Introducción” sets the tone of Exident, foreshadowing the aforementioned ‘phases’ Dennis Lloyd experienced following his breakup. He addresses his ex- (in Spanish), expressing his love for her, but also apologizing for what he’s about to say and express throughout Exident.  The intro is accompanied by minor-key electric piano, which truly drives the heartbreak and feelings home.

“I gave you everything / You gave me nothing for what I have done… / I wrote you a letter, ‘Dear future wife / You brought the emptiness into my life.” The electric piano accompaniment continues as a highly-effective part of the backdrop on standout ✓ “Aura.”  Lloyd’s performance is incredibly strong, characterized by cutting vocals and chocked-full of raw emotions concerning the end of love. Notably, on the chorus, he reminisces back on their sexual experiences, packing a sizable punch:

“When you hold me like that, when you touch me like that
When we fuck, oh when we fuck
Well, I’m burning myself, and I’m hurting myself
When we fuck, oh, when we fuck.”

“Never Go Back” 

Slightly ‘happier,’ yet still heartbroken to the core, single ✓  🤩 “Never Go Back” represents the crowning achievement of Exident.  “Never Go Back,” the first of the four full-length songs on Exident inspired by his break-up, has earned the Israel musician plenty of streaming success, not to mention ample critical praise.  Here, Lloyd asserts he’ll ‘never go back’ to the relationship, specifically on the post-chorus, but also exhibits conflicting feelings and actions – “I wanna leave you… But I can’t let go.” Basically, Lloyd paints the picture of a relationship that has grown ineffective and run its course, yet, he struggles to ultimately end things.

“GFY”

Dennis Lloyd doesn’t sugarcoat anything on the penultimate cut of Exident, “GFY.” Totally pissed off, and sick of accusations, allegations, and situations, he reveals exactly how he feels about her: “Go fuck yourself / Bitch, I gotta say that.”  The production is superb here, further fueling Lloyd’s anger, which comes off as therapy to help him move beyond this intense breakup.  The interlude included within “GFY” stands out, referencing about how relationships, good or bad, never leave us as humans.  Lloyd closes with yet another sleekly produced joint, “Runaway.”  Here, the tempo is incredibly slow, as Dennis both reminisces, yet desires to ‘run away’ from his ex.

Final Thoughts

All in all, even with only 13 minutes of music, Dennis Lloyd delivers a well-rounded, debut EP with Exident.  He perfectly captures his range of emotions in the aftermath of a breakup – anger, sadness, and ultimately, acceptance.  At times he’s reminiscent, while at others, he cusses her out and wants no parts of the memories whatsoever.  The end result is positive to the nth degree, something that Lloyd can build on with future releases, whether it be stand-alone songs, another EP, or hopefully, a full-length album.  Of Lloyd, Forbes totally nails the characterization of this rising star: “Lloyd creatively blends the elements of pop, R&B, rock and reggae, breaking global boundaries in addition to crossing them.” In regard to Exident, he definitely checks off all boxes: voice, songwriting, and, production. 

✓ Gems: “Aura” &  🤩 “Never Go Back”

Dennis Lloyd socials & such: Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram

Dennis Lloyd • Exident (EP) • Arista • Release: 4.5.19

Photo Credit: Arista