In his new single “A Change,” Kendre Streeter channels soul and crossover R&B legends like Sam Cooke and Stevie Wonder while putting his own unique spin on a timeless brand of melodicism. From the moment that we press play forward, there’s a sense of sensuousness that follows us everywhere we travel in “A Change.” The percussion greets us with a jazzy introduction as profoundly evocative as any strand of lyrics ever could be. Our leading man’s vocal is honeysweet but formidable, while the bassline he straddles is rather supple and controlled. Conservative in frills but quite liberal with the colorful harmonies that circle its every verse, this latest single from Kendre Streeter is one track that fans of indie soul will not want to miss out on this summer.
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Whether he’s rapping or singing in “A Change,” Streeter’s vocal is always the center of our attentions in this track. In some ways, the instrumentation frames his voice as to emphasize every statement he makes from behind the mic; using textural expressiveness to back up the sentiments of his words, there’s scarcely a moment in which he translates as anything other than genuine and heartfelt here. There aren’t any bloated basslines or virtuosic fills for him to hide behind; Kendre Streeter thrusts himself into the spotlight from the jump in this song, and proves once and for all that he definitely doesn’t have a problem embracing the role of a charismatic player unaided by external bells and whistles.
Though the bass parts around the chorus are indeed as thick and muscular as I would want them to be in this capacity, they’re definitely about as far away from being overstated as they could have been. There’s no shortage of excessive low-end tonality on the FM dial this June, but it would appear that the last thing on Streeter’s mind in his new single is inefficiency. He realizes that in order to make his message as affective as it potentially could be, he has to abandon a lot of the sonic bombast that his peers would just as soon spend their studio time building an entire sound around. This guy isn’t trying to shed his indie credibility with a mainstream look here – on the contrary, I think he’s wearing the underground badge with a healthy amount of pride.
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Change-Kendre-Streeter/dp/B087GHJDXM
If this is just a preview of what’s still to come for Kendre Streeter and his growing discography of groove-laden jams, you can count on my reviewing his content again in the near future. He’s got a charming vibe about him in “A Change” that can’t help but make you think of the classic era in soul, proto-funk and the early rumblings of a modern R&B beat. I don’t think that he’s going for a throwback style in this particular release, but at the same time, he isn’t being shy about wearing his influences – and his heart – on his sleeve. It’s an underrated attribute in today’s music culture, but with artists like this one on the rise, I think that’s likely to change sooner than later.
Troy Johnston