Dawn Richard- Armor On (EP)

“You’re gonna hear R&B taken to a whole ‘nother level” states former Danity Kane and Diddy-Dirty Money member while speaking of her neo-soul 10-track EP. But isn’t 10 tracks just an album? Not by newly-solo Dawn’s standards. After being in and out of groups for around six years, Richard is finally calling the shots in her own career, after requesting to be released from her Bad Boy contract with Diddy to craft the independent label ‘Our Dawn Entertainment’.  "Armor" in large, appears to be a concept album, in which Richard straps on her alter-ego “NEON” who has been fitted with the task of carrying a sacred heart to…wherever it is she’s meant to be.

Richards flirts with the contemporary dance sound on 'Faith', however "Armor" is in the vein of Drake’s moody Melancholy&B "Take Care", with a splash of Janelle Monae’s "Metropolis Suite I: The Chase"; mostly featuring down-trodden and mid-tempo synths with almost jungle sounding drum beats (second track 'Black Lipstick' in particular) weaving in and out of Richard’s smooth and enigmatic voice. The album-sorry EP, truly kicks in on the third track and lead single 'Bombs' where she confidently bellows “Y’all throwin’ shade, but I’m so summer” stomping the h8rs out as they can’t phase her, and if she keeps going in this direction, they won’t either. “Armor” is a consistent album. Richards is vocally very strong, and as far as the current face of the dance pop/R&B scene (which has GOT to be over soon as we’re all so sick of it), we need more artists like Dawn Richards around to keep on taking the genre to the level she speaks of, and as "Armor" is envisioned as a prelude to Richards "GoldenHeart Triology" those who are bored of current mainstream music scene will probably find what it is they are looking for.

B+

Key Tracks: Bombs, Automatic