Til Death [LP] - Avaraj (Pop/R&B)  Flashback: put yourself back in the mid 00s-mid 10s towards the end of the days when pure R&B would crossover onto the Top 40 charts. Think the days of Neyo. It is that classic R&B sound that Avaraj resurrects in the 12 track LP, “Til Death.” The project is one of love—from all angles. Love wanted, love achieved, love lost, the mistakes, the regrets—all of it. It’s an album of yearning; of vulnerability. Before we go our highlights, let’s start with the overall sound.

“Til Death” is Avaraj’s first album, and tells the story of a failed marriage and the self-blame that came with it. The songs were written, Avaraj tells us, as a way to process the emotional fallout, and the artist hopes the rawness of the record resonates with others on a personal level. If that was the goal, Avaraj has achieved it.

As mentioned above, the sound is classic R&B, with a few twists and surprises. Deep bass with sparkling synths and tight snares, we are mostly dealing in ballads, reminding us of the aforementioned era’s Mary J (“Be Without You”), Mariah Carey (“We Belong Together”) and Toni Braxton’s criminally slept on “Pulse” album. It’s a mature record sonically, despite the sweet and innocent vocals that often stand alone in the spotlight, centering each track in pure vulnerability, yearning and heartache. Fortunately, Avaraj is able to pull off the hat trick of having a consistent sound without the tracks feeling repetitive. From the different points of view on love to the varying productions, “Til Death” is a cohesive, play-through record that doesn’t lose the listener.

Avaraj’s voice is best described as pure. Not without its moments of power, for sure, the vocal production is mostly spare, allowing for the artist’s openness to flourish without all the bells and whistles of modern day production. It’s fortunate that this was the chosen route as it adds emotional weight to each song, each of which feel grandiose—they all feel like a “moment.”

Two standout tracks, however, take a welcome diversion from the R&B, giving us some unexpected shifts. First off, the poppy-punk of the Greenday-esque “Don’t You Worry” is a great sound for Avaraj, and we hope it is one the artist continues to explore on future projects. There even moments of the GoGos here. It’s total Top 40. The other diversion is “Peace With You” which has a latin flare to it. Moonlight tinged guitar riffs lead this track, and spice up the procession of ballads.

The other 9 tracks (we also get an alternate version of “Little Monsters” at the end) stick to the R&B ballad formula, and for us the standouts are title track “Til Death” and album closer “Are You Missing Me?” From the vocal production to the melodic lines to the lyrics, these tracks in particular are very strong contenders for playlist placement and radio spins. “Til Death” marries a raw piano line with spoken-word features and a shining upper register that elevates the chorus to epic levels. But just when you think the album hits its crescendo, “Are You Missing Me?” knocks it out of the park—our favorite track next to “Don’t You Worry”. It’s got some great flow to the rap portions, the chord progressions are moving and the production is top notch, especially the vocal layering, all married with a chorus that is catchy AF.

“Til Death” is a sing along in the shower record, and one where you don’t skip a single track.