By Me Some Time - Breon S.Y.N.D.E.L (LP) (Hiphop) By Me Some Time is loud and in your face, just as a hiphop record should be. It’s a feel good album of midtempos that feel custom made for speeding down the highway, which makes total sense considering Breon’s inspiration for his work, which we discuss more below. The album succeeds in creating a holistic sound that carries through the entire album, and is chock full of nostalgia (particularly in the synth choices) while keeping the drumkits and basslines freshly modern.
Breon describes his project as “what happens when a fever dream meets Wreck-It-Ralph/Sonic the hedgehog” and is heavily inspired by “your favorite video racing games.” We feel this especially comes through in those synth choices—retro and fuzzy, they sound very similar to the Prince 1999 synths. We also have some really great early Nintendo synth effects, specifically highlighted in Sunrise, which give a great throwback feel to the modern hiphop 808s and drumkits.
The album has a consistent sound throughout, and tends to stick to roughly the same tempo, making for a cohesive project. It’s a smart way to capture an audience—if you like one song, there’s no reason you won’t like anything else on the album as each delivers in a specific style. The songs flow directly into each other and make sense in sequencing, making the LP a pleasant listen through.
Aside from the common synths and hiphop bass/drum production, the vocal production is also consistent throughout, and reminds us of Kanye’s vocal production his My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy project. Heavily tuned for that distinctive robotic effect and and airy distortion throughout, it assists in giving the album it’s specific soundscape. That production is matched with deeply personal lyrics that at times hit pretty hard in the chest—Drake-level explorations of heartache and a few references to suicidal ideation really catch you and let you know that Breon is letting you in on some pretty personal stuff. He has an easy flow, and rides all of his beats without a single hiccup, never losing the listener on the journey.
For us, the standout tracks are Double or Nothin, Sunrise and Lemon Squeezy. Double or Nothin is the most personal track on the album, exemplifying what we described earlier as a Drake-level exploration of heartache. It feels the most radio friendly and the back and forth between the lead vocal and an octave drop, dueting in the second verse, is that part of the song that you can’t wait to get to because it just sounds so cool. Sunrise explores those Nintendo and arcade-esque synth sounds that elevates the song into pure earcandy thanks to that healthy dose of nostalgia. Finally, Lemon Squeezy is a perfect closer—the synth progression feels like a finale—and it has a distinct percussion to the rest of the album that really stands out.
Excellently mixed and mastered and chock full of certified two-steps, add Breon S.Y.N.D.E.L’s Buy Me Some Time album to your commute playlist.