On
Zinc.
, his alluring first album for the independent
Mom + Pop Music
, R&B outlier
Gallant
switches it up somewhat by working closely with
Ariza
, a fellow songwriter and producer known most for his work on
Camilo
's Latin Grammy-nominated album
De Adentro Pa Afuera
.
either produces or co-produces all but one track, which is handled by
Stint
,
's main collaborator on
Ology
Sweet Insomnia
, and
Neptune
. The two producers also partner on the incendiary -- if regretful, hardly resolutionary -- finale.
proves to be equally compatible with
, an open book who continues to use his remarkably elegant voice to work through romantic instability, conflict, remorse, and longing. The bulk of the productions sound slightly scalded and on edge, whether it's the wistful folk-soul ballad "Centigrade." (a duet with the well-matched
Nao
), driving rocker "Crimes of Compassion.," or the atmospheric drum'n'bass projectile "Monorail." Most stirring of all is "Atoms.," a devotional ballad in the post-
Prince
mold of
Miguel
and Paul brothers
A.K.
and
Jai
. While the record takes its title from an antioxidant that can aid in the healing of wounds, it signifies the singer's need for a remedy rather than the album's effect. In "Siberia.,"
offers "cold comfort" "with seizures and chills, like a poisonous pill." It's a trudge rife with self-pity, but its gracefulness, further elevated by the singer's pained falsetto, is something to behold.
plays with a lot of familiar water and fire metaphors to express assorted emotional disturbances, but this time, they sound more vivid, as if they weren't merely within grasp as lyrical crutches but instead more like lived experiences. ~ Andy Kellman